The Recruit
by A. Amishi
Summary: GitSEva: Section 9 gets a new recruits, Rei Ayanami, now 30, but her past is shrouded in mystery and the Major hates a mystery. What will Motoko do when she finds out what Rei really is and that the past 20 years have all been a lie?
1. Chapter 1: The Prospect

Disclaimer: Ghost in the Shell was created by Shirow Masamune. GitS:SAC is the property of Bandai Entertainment. GitS: SAC-2ndGIG is the property of Manga Video. Neon Genesis Evangelion was created by Studio GAINAX and is the property of ADV Films in the United States. I own nothing and am simply writing this story for the enjoyment of my readers.

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GitS/Eva: The Recruit

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Assumptions: Third Impact was averted. The Angel Wars were successfully covered up but by Seele and the UN. Cybernetic technology was in full swing even before the Angel Wars. Section 9 is still in tact and functioning after the events of 2nd Gig along with all of its members.

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Description: Inspired by Episode 11 (Affection), the war was started to conceal NERV's battle with the Angels. Tokyo3 has been destroyed, Tokyo2 has been renamed New Tokyo, and is eventually simply called Tokyo, and everyone from NERV who is still alive has moved on with their lives. Asuka lives in Berlin and is the editor-in-chief of a German political/fashion magazine. Shinji lives in Vancouver and is an insurance adjuster. And Rei, after attending the military academy, and serving 5 years in the Japanese Military with honors, is now an Operative with the Special Intelligence Unit, which answers to the Treasury Department and investigates counterfeiting and illegal bank transactions. But the SIU does not pose enough of a challenge for the former Eva pilot and she seeks a new challenge. But will her past keep her from fulfilling her goal?

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Chapter 1: The Prospect

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Batou flipped through the stack of applicants, his usual dark demeanor amplified by what he read in each. "No… No… No… Get real! … No… No… You got to be kidding me! … No… No… NO!"

"Problem, Boss?" Togusa walked into the room carrying two cups of coffee and deposited one on the table next to his fellow Section 9 agent.

"These applicants are a joke. I thought the bunch we tested awhile back were bad. At least they were worth putting through some training to test them." He held up the stack of papers in his hand. "These losers aren't even worth the time of day." He tossed the papers across the conference table and grabbed the cup, taking a big gulp of the steaming brew.

"They can't all be that bad." Togusa slowly reorganized the pile using only one hand while he sipped his coffee, then sat against the table and started flipping through them himself.

One by one, he tossed each application aside. The glib early-morning expression he had had on his face when he first walked into the room slowly turned as dark as Batou's. "Gosh, you're right, there's not a worthy candidate among them." He tossed the second to last aside, then started skimming over the final one in the pile. After a minute of reading his spirits rose. "Wait a minute. What about this one?" He flipped the page and continued to read. "First in her class at the military academy. Earned seven commendations in her five years in the service. Special Intelligence Unit operative for the past four years, she's received ten commendations during that time: fluent in seven languages, proficient in the use of over 30 firearms, code-breaking skills, hacking skills. She's got it all."

"Here, let me see that."

Togusa handed the file over.

"Hmmm, pretty impressive." Batou flipped through the rest of the file. "How'd I miss this one?" He flipped it back to the first page. "Rei Ayanami. … Wait a minute." Batou spotted what had stopped him from reading the rest of her file earlier. "She's already thirty-years old. Her best years are behind her."

"Are you saying you're already over the hill, Boss?" Togusa grinned then took another sip of his coffee.

"No, Wiseass! What I'm saying is that by the time she goes through the initial training – assuming she passes the qualification test – then competes the team training, then learns the ropes from the rest of us, she'll only be giving us eight, maybe ten good years before she'll be forced to resign, assuming she makes it that long. We look to get twelve to fifteen years out of a new recruit at a minimum." Batou tossed the application on top of the others.

"Does she have a prosthetic body? If she does, then it won't matter how old she is." Togusa picked the file back up and started scanning it again.

"It doesn't say in there," Batou answered, taking another long drink of the black elixir.

"It doesn't say anything. Maybe they left it out." The younger agent stood up. "Why don't we check it out? Considering her qualifications, don't you think it's worth the effort?" He took a few steps towards the door, then looked back to see if his comrade was following him.

Batou just stared at him for a moment, then grudgingly got up off his chair. "I guess." He reached over and picked up the applicant's file. "Beats having to look through the rest of those files again."

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(000)

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In the systems and analysis room, Batou and Togusa stood on either side of the analysis android as she entered in the key data and brought up the files on Special Intelligence Operative, Rei Ayanami. A moment later, the information appeared on the screen.

"No way!" Batou shouted.

"She looks like a kid. It must be a prosthetic body," Togusa assumed.

"Negative, sir," the android replied. "According to the data, Special Operative Ayanami has had some prosthetic enhancements, which include: bone densifiers, lung optimizers, and a number of brain enhancements, but her body is organic and original."

"It's got to be a screw up. She's supposed to be thirty-years old, the woman in that picture looks no more than… " Batou analyzed the picture and tried to place an age to it.

"Fifteen, maybe sixteen?" Togusa completed the thought.

"At most. This has got to be somebody's idea of a joke."

"Do we know Miss Ayanami's current location?" Togusa asked the android.

"Yes, sir," she answered. "She is currently at SIU Headquarters and has just left a conference room. She is now engaged in conversation with several fellow operatives in the third floor walkway, overlooking the main lobby."

"Is there a surveillance camera we can access?" Batou asked.

"Just one moment, sir." The android's fingers flew over her keypad and a moment later the monitor showed four SIU operatives standing along the walkway talking.

"Zoom in on the female," Togusa instructed and an instant later they had a close up of the woman in question. "Oh my god."

"No shit."

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(000)

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At the end of the morning briefing, Batou tossed a file in front of the Major.

"What's this?" She looked at the file and focused in on the picture in the right hand corner. "Are you planning on adopting a teenage girl, Batou?" Everyone laughed.

"That's no teenager. Her name is Rei Ayanami, and she's thirty-years old," the square-jawed cyborg replied.

"Thirty? You're kidding. She doesn't look a day over fifteen." Motoko started reading the file.

"I know, but Togusa and I checked her out. She currently works over at SIU and we double-checked, using one of their surveillance cameras. No joke, she looks just like her picture. A bit more mature maybe, but that was probably the suit she was wearing. Those SIU guys always like to overdress."

"Say, Major, let's take a look." Pazu held out his hand and she tossed him the file. Looking at the picture, he whistled. "What a babe."

Ishikawa looked over his shoulder as he walked past. "Pazu, you pedophile." Boma and Saito laughed, and even Motoko smiled.

"Hey! Says right here…" He pointed. "She's thirty years old," Pazu said in his own defense. "How does that make me a pedophile?"

"It's not how old she is that makes you a pedophile, it's how old she looks," Ishikawa answered. "And she looks like she's barely out of diapers."

Everyone laughed this time. Pazu glared at the older agent and flipped him the bird, which only make Ishikawa laugh all the more.

"So, Major, what do you think?" Batou asked.

"I don't know. Most of our recruits are from the JSDF Special Forces, and are full cyborgs." She grabbed the file back from Pazu. "She's still mostly human." She read the rest of the file. "And tiny."

"I know, but something tells me this kid could be something special," Batou countered.

"Is that your ghost talking, or are you just looking to show off your training abilities?" the Major shot back.

"Hey! You know I would never risk someone's life just to show off." He paused. "Yeah, I feel it in my ghost. I think she's got the stuff."

"If you think she's got what it takes, put her through the training. We'll give her ten days. After that, we'll test her. If she passes, great; if not, we'll have invested less then two weeks."

"Sounds like a plan," Togusa agreed.

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(000)

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A young woman with light-blue hair poked her head into her boss's office. "You wanted to see me, SOC?"

The Special Operative in Charge looked up from his mountain of paperwork. "Ah, yes, Miss Ayanami. Please come in."

She nodded and walked into his office.

"Would you please close the door?" he added.

Doing so, she walked over and took a seat in front of his desk.

"Miss Ayanami, I'll get right to the point. It appears your application to Section Nine has been accepted." He picked up a letter from his desk and offered it to her. Rei leaned forward and took the letter, reading it carefully while still listening to her superior.

"It's only temporary, mind you, until you complete their initial training and pass their admittance test, but knowing you, Miss Ayanami, that should only be a formality." He smiled.

"When does it take effect?" Rei asked without looking up.

"You are to report to Yokota Military Base, near Fussa City at 8 am the day after tomorrow. You can use the rest of today to gather your personal belongings and turn over your caseload to Mr. Sato, Mr. Watanabe, Mr. Miyaki, and Miss Sakamoto. While tomorrow will be your last day officially, you can consider it a vacation day. Use it to clear your head of everything you had going on here and to prepare yourself for your new assignment." He rose and walked over to her. "On a personal note, this unit won't be the same without you, Miss Ayanami. Your dedication to service and unique abilities will be difficult if not impossible to replace." He extended his hand to her.

The young looking woman stood and accepted his hand. "Thank you, sir. It has been an honor to work under your command."

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Rei walked out of the SOC's office and over to her own. Picking up the cardboard box that was used for paper recyclables, she looked about for any personal effects. There were none. Most of her colleagues had pictures of family members or group pictures taken after a particularly successful assignment on their desks or atop their cabinets. Some hung the few commendations they received on the wall. Rei's walls were bare, and aside from office supplies and piles of case files, there was nothing of a personal nature on her desk or cabinet.

Walking over to the cabinet, she checked each drawer. The top three were filled with case files and assorted reference materials. The bottom drawer had the ten commendations she had earned while with the SIU. Taking them out one at a time, she looked at them and read the framed letters, allowing herself a moment to reminisce on each case. The Kamegashi Case, only her third case as a member of the SIU. A multi-national corporation involved in counterfeiting on a global scale. The Yamashiro Case, a banking scam perpetuated by the vice-president of the second largest back in Australia. Extraditing the criminal was painstaking and slow but in the end Rei brought him to justice and helped save the Japanese banking system from collapse. The Kogohiro Case, a small case by comparison to her others, but three other operatives had died investigating the notorious art-dealer who used gullible, aspiring artists to counterfeit works of art. Not something the SIU normally investigated but did in conjunction with the Ministry of Art. Two other agents were seriously wounded but survived because Rei managed to kill the criminal before he could finish them off.

After placing the last commendation in the box, she sat at her desk and stared down at the middle drawer. She knew it was the only one that held anything of a personal nature. Pulling it open, Rei reached in and took out a 5 by 7 framed picture. It was the one item she took with her wherever she went. She used to keep it on her desk but got tired of the questions it generated, even though she never offered any answers.

She ran her fingers over the picture. It was old, nearly sixteen years old. In it, three fourteen year olds stood next to each other, staring at the camera. The redhead with a big, happy grin stood on the left. The picture was taken shortly after her arrival to Tokyo3, before she learned to hate Rei with every fiber of her being. Rei stood on the right, her face as expressionless as always back then. _I should have smiled,_ she thought. _It would have been the appropriate thing to do._ Then she looked at the boy in the middle. He had a nervous grin and the start of a blush upon his cheeks. Remembering what had caused that reaction made her smile.

"**_Smile, Shinji. You're standing between your two girlfriends after all,"_** his purple-haired guardian teased, right before taking the picture.

Rei ran her fingers over the picture again. "Asuka, Shinji… where are you now?" It would have been an easy enough thing for her to find out, but in truth, the question was a rhetorical one. She preferred not knowing, that way she could assume they had found rich, fulfilling lives, wherever they were. She released a gentle sigh and placed the picture face down in the box.

"So, this is finally it, huh?"

Rei looked up and saw her fellow female operative, Maaya Sakamoto, standing at the doorway. "I am afraid so." Rei offered her friend a faint smile.

"I don't know how this agency's supposed to carry on without you, Rei." The young 27-year old shook her head and walked next to the desk, leaning up next to it. "Seven operatives and you handle a full third of our case load yourself."

"By the way, the SOC instructed me to notify you that you are now responsible for my case load," Rei informed her.

"WHAT? I can barely handle the cases I already have!" The younger woman panicked. Rei gestured silently for her to lower her voice. "Is he nuts?" the dark-haired woman whispered.

Rei's eyes sparked just a bit. "Oh, did I fail to mention, you would be sharing my case load with Satakeshi, Kei, and Keniichi?"

Maaya turned red faced and her lips puffed out. "Oh, Rei! Why do you have to be like that?"

Rei offered her colleague a faint smile. "Because it is so easy to deceive you."

The woman scowled. "Fine! Just for that, we're not taking you out tonight."

"Tonight?" Rei tilted her head.

Maaya's anger dissipated almost instantly. "Yeah, we're taking you to Ten-ichi in Ginza. I hear they make the best tempura in all of Tokyo." She smiled.

"Ten-ichi? Is it not expensive there?"

"Don't worry about it. We've got you covered and you're worth the expense, trust me." Maaya winked. "And afterwards, we're taking you to karaoke."

"Maaya." Rei shook her head. "I cannot go…"

"Why not?"

"Because… I must prepare for my new assignment."

"You have all day tomorrow for that. And don't say you can't sing."

"I cannot sing."

"Liar! You have a great singing voice. Remember, I heard you sing on the Goshigo investigation."

Rei's lips turned downward ever so slightly. "I thought I destroyed the recording of that."

"You did."

"And concealed your memory of it as well."

"You did." Maaya slammed her fists upon her hips. "And I'm still mad at you for that, but I managed to make a backup disk and sent it to myself before you ghosthacked me." She smiled. "It took me awhile to figure out what the disk was from, but eventually I pieced the missing parts of my memory together and figured out it was you. Come o-o-on. Everyone's going to be there. Even Section Chief Yogaru said he might show up later and sing a few songs in your honor."

Sighing in defeat, Rei conceded. "Very well."

"Eeee!" Maaya clapped. "This is going to be great. You're going to have a great time. And have something special to remember us by, you'll see." She turned and rushed out of the office, back to her desk to confirm the reservations.

Rei smiled momentarily, then logged into her computer and went about the process of dividing up her caseload between the four other operatives.

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(000)

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Rei Ayanami drove through the main gate at Yokota Military Base ten minutes early. The guard told her where to park, then she got her duffle bag out of the trunk and made her way to the women's barracks.

Batou sat on the steps leading to the barracks, waiting for the new recruit. As she approached, he rose and placed his hands upon his waist. "Rei Ayanami?"

"Yes, sir?"

"I'm Batou from Public Security, Section Nine, but you can call me Boss." He flashed her his ID.

"Very well, Boss."

"The barracks' chief will show you your bunk. Meet me at the parade grounds at 0815."

"Yes, Boss." She gave a nod and went inside.

Batou glanced over his shoulder. "Hmmm." He cracked a smile then made his way towards the parade grounds.

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(000)

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Rei arrived right on time, wearing green camouflage fatigue pants, a red airborne paratrooper's t-shirt, and a pair of military issued cross-trainers.

"Airborne, hey?" Batou hovered over her.

"Yes, Boss." She stood at-ease.

"I ran into a bunch of those pricks in a bar in South America during the war. Wusses couldn't drink, or fight," he snarled.

"I'm sure their training standards have improved since then… on both accounts, sir." Rei replied without batting an eye.

"Can't you speak any louder? I can barely hear you," he taunted her.

"This is how I speak, sir. It has served me well for thirty years."

"Hmmm…." _Not easily intimidated. That's good. She could look like a little girl as long as she doesn't act like a little girl. _Batou smiled inwardly. "Alright, over the next ten days I'm going to teach you the basics: surveillance, analysis, infiltration, along with a few other things. After which you'll be tested. If you pass, you're in. If not, well, I hope they haven't given your office away back at SIU Headquarters." He smirked. "Any questions?"

Rei looked from side to side, then asked, "Boss, where are the other applicants?"

A stern expression formed upon his face and he looked out along the long mountain path. "You're the only one." Batou paused for a moment. "We'll warm up with a 10K run." He started running up the path. "Try and keep up!"

Rei watched him for a moment before running off after him.

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(000)

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They followed the main path through the foothills for six kilometers before taking a side path around the mountain. Batou continued to set the pace; glancing back every so often to verify the prospective recruit was still with him.

The path after the break was mostly downhill, winding and dense through the forest. While there was still a path, it was not an easy one to follow, even in broad daylight, but this was the only way to where Batou wanted to go. For this reason, he wasn't too concerned initially when he would look back and not see Rei, simply assuming she had fallen a bit further back, out of his line of sight, but after looking back a forth time and not seeing her, he stopped and waited.

One minute, two minutes, three minutes passed and still no sign of the new prospect. The thought of going back crossed his mind. "Ah, to hell with it, if she can't follow a path then she doesn't deserve to be part of Section Nine." He continued on his way.

Two kilometers later he cleared the forest and made his way to the shooting range. As he drew near he saw someone sitting on the fence that circled the range. Though he couldn't make out the person's face, there was no mistaking the light blue hair.

"How the hell did she… " He cut himself off and continued to run along the path towards her.

As he neared, he could see that she was only wearing her t-shirt and military issued boxers. Her pants and socks were draped over the fence and her shoes were sitting upon one of the large posts.

With Batou quickly approaching, Rei grabbed her socks and checked them to see if they were dry yet. Satisfied, she put them back on, then grabbed her pants and hopped down off the fence. She was tying her shoes when Batou came to a stop in front of her.

"Where the hell did you go?" he barked.

"After you veered off the main path, I grew weary of the pace you were setting, so I chose an alternate path."

"But the only other way here is by the creek. That's an extra two kilometers, through icy water."

"Only one and three-quarters of a kilometer actually."

"And you got here long enough for your clothes to dry?"

She bent at the waist and patted her pants. "All dry."

"Okay, but how did you know this was where I was heading? Wait a minute! Did you hack my ghost?" Now Batou was getting worried. He didn't sense anything unusual at all during his run, and to be hacked so easily was beyond disturbing.

"No. I have trained at this base before, sir. I knew once you turned off the main path that you were either heading here or the artillery range." She pointed beyond the far gate. "I deduced that you were not bringing me to fire a cannon, so I stopped here."

Batou stared down at her for a moment, then smirked. "Not bad, recruit. Not bad."

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(000)

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Rei waited patiently in the deserted firing range. Suddenly, Batou returned with a massive weapon over his shoulder.

"Okay, so you've shown proficiency with at least a dozen small arms weapons, but sometimes we need to use something with a little more kick." He flung the beast off his shoulder and held it in his hands. "This is the Penetrator, your basic armor buster for taking down the real tough baddies. It fires semi-automatic 14.5mm HEAT shells." He hoisted it back onto his shoulder and took aim at the target. "It uses an advanced long-travel recoil absorption system." He pulled down on the trigger and fired, obliterating the target. "But it still has one hell of a kick." He shrugged it off his shoulder and turned to hand it to the new recruit. "Give it a try."

Rei looked up at him for a moment, wondering if he was just teasing her, but when he didn't flinch she reached out and took the gun from him. She nearly dropped it but somehow managed to keep it balanced in her arms.

Realizing there was no way she was going to be able to fire the beast while standing erect, she set the back end on the ground and went down onto one knee.

"What the?" Batou took a step back.

Rei lowered the gun into place on her shoulder and leaned into it slightly, resting the barrel jacket on her other knee. She looked up at the targets and said, "Targets one, three, and six," then she took careful aim and in quick succession obliterated the three targets. Leaning to the side, she slid the Penetrator off her shoulder and let the back end rest on the ground again as she stood up and offered the gun back to her trainer. "You were correct, sir. It does have quite a kick." She rubbed both her shoulder and her knee.

Batou looked from the gun, to the girl, to the three smoldering targets. "Well, I'll be damned." He took the gun and flung it back upon his shoulder. "That's the third time today you've managed to impress me, Agent Ayanami."

"Thank you, Boss." She bowed.

"Cut the formal crap. Call me Batou." He gave her a slap on the back and gestured toward the arms locker.

"Very well, Batou. And please call me Rei."

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(To Be Continued)

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AN: Hoped you enjoyed it. I know I did. This should be a short story, about 5 chapters, I think. Already working on chapter 2.

I'd like to thank Tannim Murphy for his suggestions and ideas. He really helped me tighten up this first chapter.

This is being posted without going thought my beta-reader. When Janice is able to get around editing this chapter, I'll repost it.

04/19/2006 Update: As promised, here is the edited version, courtesy of my beta-reader, Janice. As I expected, despite my best efforts, she found tons of errors. Man, I suck at editing. But Janice is awesome at it. I'm sure this version will read much cleaner. Thanks you large, Janice.

A. Amishi


	2. Chapter 2: The Test

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

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GitS/Eva: The Recruit

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Chapter 2: The Test

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"All right, this is it, Rei. I've taught you what you need to know. Your objective is to maintain surveillance of Major Motoko Kusanagi." Batou showed her a picture.

Rei took it and studied it carefully.

"She'll arrive at the hotel at approximately oh-nine-hundred hours. Acquire the target and track her for two hours." Batou gestured to the man standing next to him. "This is Pazu. He's with Section Nine as well." Pazu cracked a leery grin. Rei just nodded. "In the field, agents almost always work in pairs, but since we don't have any other recruits, Pazu here will be tagging along with you. But make no mistake; it's your assignment, your test. He's just providing backup."

Rei nodded. "And where will you be, Batou?"

Pazu raised an eyebrow.

"I'll be observing and evaluating your performance," Batou replied.

Again, she nodded.

"Well, good luck."

Rei and Pazu started towards the hotel entrance.

"Oh, and Rei."

The young woman turned.

"The Major doesn't take it easy on anyone, especially new recruits, so stay sharp," Batou warned.

"I shall." She gave him a hint of a smile, then turned and entered the building.

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(000)

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Batou walked about a block and a half before getting in the car next to Togusa. "Major, you copy?" Batou called via cyber-link.

"I copy," she replied. "Is she ready?"

"Ready and waiting. You can make your move any time."

"All right. I'm just getting off the riverboat. I should be there in ten minutes."

"Roger that."

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The two men sat quietly, waiting for the Major's arrival. Togusa glanced over and started to open his mouth, but thought better of it and just drummed his fingers on the dash.

"You got something to say?" Batou barked.

Togusa smirked. "It's just … she called you Batou."

"So?"

"Not Mister Batou, not Sir, not Boss…"

"And?"

"And that last bit. Warning her about the Major. Telling her to stay sharp."

"What's your point?" the cyborg said gruffly.

"Big guy… are you in love?" Togusa struggled to keep a straight face.

"SHUT UP!"

"Can it, you two!" the Major commanded. "I'm going in."

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(000)

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Pazu read the newspaper and Rei flipped through a book she had taken out of her purse while they sat in the hotel lobby waiting for the Major to arrive. After about ten minutes, Rei spotted a dark-haired, voluptuous woman approaching the hotel entrance.

"The target is acquired." Rei sent the encrypted message to Pazu through an encoded channel.

"Okay, so… what do you want to do?" the agent asked.

Rei glanced around casually. "Assuming she is not going to get a room, she is probably heading for the restaurant or the bar. Let us head in that direction." She paused. "Go first. Take the escalator."

"Sure thing, babe." Glancing at his watch, Pazu folded his newspaper and casually made his way to the escalator, taking it to the second level.

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(000)

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"That's strange," Motoko broadcasted to both Batou and Togusa.

"What is?" Batou replied.

"Pazu's going up the escalator already," she said from just inside the hotel entrance. "Did he tip her off?"

"I'll check," Batou answered. "Hey, Pazu. Did you tip Rei off?"

"Negative. She spotted the Major before she even entered the hotel and figured she'd be heading to either the bar or the café. So she sent me on ahead."

"Did you get that, Major?" Batou asked.

"Yes, clever girl." She looked around but saw no sign of the blue-haired woman. A moment later she made her way to the escalators, stealing another glance around the lobby, but still found no sign of the recruit. "Hmm…"

Stepping off the escalator, the Major made her way towards the open-air café.

"May I help you, ma'am?" the young hostess asked with a smile.

"Table for one." Motoko smiled back, having spotted Pazu already.

The hostess grabbed a menu. "Very well, please follow me." She led her to the opposite end of the restaurant, far from her Section 9 comrade.

"Your waitress will be with you shortly." The hostess handed the Major her menu and bowed.

"Thank you," Motoko replied without actually looking up at the hostess. She simply took the menu and opened it to the beverage section.

A minute later the waitress arrived. "Good morning, ma'am." A young lady in a mini-dress and apron smiled. "What may I get for you today?"

Closing the menu and setting it on the table, Motoko answered, "I'll have a mocha latte and a buttered crescent, and can you bring me the latest issue of Tokyo Weekly?"

"Of course, ma'am." The young waitress bowed, picked up the menu, and left to fill the order.

Accessing the hotel's security camera, which overlooked the restaurant, the Major asked, "So Pazu, where's your little friend?"

"Good question, Major. I'll find out." The lean, grim-faced agent switched to an encoded channel. "Rei, where are you, babe?"

The blue-haired woman's expression darkened ever so slightly. "I am on the fifth floor by the glass elevators. I have the target in my sights." She accessed the fifth floor elevator lobby's security camera and sent the image down to Pazu.

"Smart. Okay, I'll keep tabs on her from here. I'll let you know where she's heading if she moves out of your line of sight," he replied.

"Very well." She shifted from one foot to the other, leaning up against the marble wall that was part of the elevator's structure.

"Well, Pazu?" Motoko asked.

"She's got you in her sights, Major. Just being inconspicuous about it."

"Is that right? All right, guess I'll have to do some work here." She quickly accessed the building security system again and scanned the cameras floor-by-floor for the new recruit; first floor, second floor, third floor, forth floor, fifth floor, sixth floor. _Wait a second…_ She went back and looked at the fifth floor cameras, then compared them with the images from the forth and sixth floors. _She used the elevator lobby shot from the forth floor and the hallway camera that shows the lobby from the sixth to conceal herself._ The Major overrode the system to gain direct access to the elevator lobby camera on the fifth floor, which showed a woman with light-blue hair, in a pants suit and sensible shoes. "Very clever girl."

"Here you are, ma'am." The waitress set the latte and crescent down along with the magazine. "Enjoy."

"Thank you." Motoko picked up the magazine and started flipping through it before taking a sip of her latte and tearing off a piece of her crescent.

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(000)

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"So, Batou, what makes this recruit different from the others we've tested?" Togusa asked.

"What do you mean?" The larger man took a swig of his canned coffee.

"You don't seem quite as pessimistic about Ayanami's chances as you did with the other recruits we tested a few months ago."

"I don't? Hmm… Maybe it's because she's different? She's sharp and learns fast. I never had to tell her anything more than once, and when I'd try to use her lack of size to her disadvantage, she always managed to work around it. There wasn't anything I threw at her that she couldn't handle." He took another drink.

"So, it is love." Togusa smirked.

"I swear, you're going to need a prosthetic body after I get through with you."

"Just kidding, big guy, just kidding." The younger agent chuckled, holding his hands up in defense.

-

(000)

-

Motoko set her empty cup down and finished reading the article that had caught her attention, then put the magazine down. Standing up, she made her way out of the restaurant.

"Target is moving. Pazu, can you tell where she is going?"

"Looks like she's heading for the restroom," the agent replied.

Rei accessed the blueprints of the building. "No other exists, one secured window." She paused. "Wait a minute…" Spinning towards the elevator, she hit the up button. "Pazu, go to the women's restroom, now."

"You mean inside?" He got up and started heading in that direction. "Why?"

"I believe Major Kusanagi is making her move." A few seconds later she got off on the top floor and hurried to the access stairwell. As she ran up the stairs towards the roof, Pazu contacted her. "Rei, you were right. The Major's no longer here and the window's been left open."

"Understood," she answered, just before forcing the door to the roof open. She looked left and right, catching sight of something moving. At the far end of the shorter building across the street a figure ran to the edge and jumped off. "Pazu, head to the far side of Mitsukawa Bank, next door. See if you can re-acquire the target."

"Gotcha." The agent ran down the escalator, shoving past people, and made a beeline to the exit.

Rei ran towards the edge of the building, reached into her purse, and pulled out what looked like a gun. Taking careful aim, she fired it at the building across the street. A projectile flew from it and impaled itself near the top of the building. Without hesitation, Rei dropped her purse, grabbed the gun securely with both hands, and jumped off the hotel. She sailed through the air towards the bank, striking it feet first about three stories from the top. Engaging the recoil on the gun, Rei scaled the side of the building with the aid of a razor-thin line attached to the projectile. In a matter of seconds she was on top of the bank and running to the far end.

-

(000)

-

Motoko crouched low in one of the thick branches of a large ginkgo tree in front of the bank. "Batou, what's happening?"

"Pazu exited the hotel about a minute ago and is making his way around to the front of the bank. You should be able to spot him any moment now," he replied.

"Yup, there he is." She saw her fellow Section 9 agent scanning the grounds in search of her. "He hasn't spotted me yet. And our new recruit?"

"Don't know. Last we saw her she was making her way up to the roof of the hotel. She must still be up there because she hasn't come down yet," answered Batou.

-

(000)

-

"Pazu, have you acquired the target?" Rei communicated.

"Negative. She must have taken off down the street. I'll head east and see-"

Rei cut in. "Negative. Target is near the top of the ginkgo tree. The large one to your right."

Pazu looked over and up. "Target acquired. Where are you?"

"On top of Mitsukawa Bank."

The agent shifted his gaze to the top of the building and spotted her pale blue hair poking out over the top. "How did you get over there?"

"Will explain later. Keep the target in your sights. I will be down momentarily," she replied, then disappeared from sight.

While riding the elevator down to the first floor, Batou contacted her. "Rei, where are you, and where is the target?"

"I am currently in elevator three of the Mitsukawa Bank, descending to the first floor. The target is in a ginkgo tree in the bank's plaza. Pazu has target in his sights and is awaiting my arrival," she answered.

"Understood, Rei. Continue surveillance."

"Very well." The elevator doors opened just as she received a message from Pazu.

"Rei! Target is on the move. She's making her way down Meijidori."

"Continue pursuit. I will catch up with you," she replied, rushing out of the building and heading up the street.

After covering two blocks and realizing that neither Pazu nor the Major were in sight, Rei got an idea. "Batou, we are pursuing the target down Meijidori. Suspect she will attempt to lose us at the university." _If he will just…_ Rei came to a stop as she analyzed the data she accessed from hacking her instructor. A faint smirk crossed her lips and she broke across the Gakushuw University campus, heading for the railway station. _Now, if they attempt to contact Major Kusanagi…_

-

(000)

-

"The university?" Togusa asked suspiciously.

Batou raised his hand, silencing the younger agent. "Maintain pursuit at all costs."

"Understood," the recruit replied.

"Has the Major changed the route?" Togusa asked.

"Well, the university is next to the railway station. Maybe Rei's right? Could be that the Major's trying to lose them there, before boarding the train," Batou speculated. After a few quiet minutes, he tried to establish contact with Motoko. "Major, where are you?"

It took a little longer than normal but eventually a connection was made. "Just leaving Gakushuw Campus. Looks like I lost them. Boarding the Metro, eastbound."

"Eastbound?" Batou paused, going over the predetermined route in his head once again. "All right. We'll pick you up at the Ginza Station."

"Roger that," they heard.

Without a second thought, Batou started the car and merged into traffic.

-

(000)

-

Rei caught up to Pazu at the Metro station. "Where is the target?"

He shook his head. "Sorry, lost her." He scanned all round, but it was no use.

Rei looked at the two trains at the station. "These are the only two trains scheduled at this station for the next 12 minutes. She must have boarded one of them. Take that one, I shall take this one."

Before Pazu could protest, she turned and ran for the northbound train. "Shit!" the agent cursed himself, then turned and boarded the eastbound train just before the doors closed.

-

(000)

-

Rei took a seat as the train pulled out of the station. Based on the information she hacked from Batou, she knew she had nearly an hour before the Major planned to get off. After taking a quick mental inventory of what tools she still had on her, she sat back and waited, staring straight ahead with eyes unfocused. _I should not have dropped my purse._ She continued to stare aimlessly. _Now I may never know if Aya and Tooya will end up together._ She sighed softly.

-

(000)

-

From looking at her, one would assume Rei Ayanami had falling into a trance of some sort with the way she sat perfectly still, her eyes half closed and unfocused. But nothing could have been further from the truth.

_From here, the Major will first determine if she has been followed. She has attempted to access the train's security cameras, but I believe I have successfully disabled them. If I allow her to exit the train first and rely solely upon the data I accessed from Batou, then I should be able to tail her to the conclusion of this exercise, unless she alters her destination, but the probability of that should be remote. However, if I make my presence known, then I will have revealed not only myself but also the fact that I managed to obtain her scheduled route. _Rei pondered her options.

_Of course, if I do reveal myself, then she will most certainly alter her route. Attempting to keep pace with a fully prosthetic cyborg could prove too great a challenge. _She paused. _However, the likelihood of another opportunity to test myself like this is small. _

The next stop was announced and Rei got up and made her way to the exit. When the doors opened, Rei quickly stepped off and away from the train, then looked back to locate her quarry. From the lead car, she saw the Major exit the train. Casually, the blue-haired woman made her way towards the exit, bringing her in plain view of Motoko.

-

(000)

-

_What the…,_ the Major trailed off. Using a level-5 security channel, she transmitted, "Batou, do you copy?"

A moment later she heard him reply, "Roger that, Major."

"What is your current position?" She slowly made her way to the exit.

"Just outside the Ginza train station. Why?"

"Ginza? What are you doing in Ginza?"

"Waiting for you, of course."

"But I wasn't scheduled to go to Ginza. I'm to hell and back from Ginza."

"According to my data, you were scheduled to board the train and head east to Ginza."

"Togusa, can you confirm?" She kept a wary eye on the new recruit. _Did she hack me without my even noticing? If she did, she's good._

"That's affirmative, Major. According to my data you were schedule to arrive at Ginza station at 1030 hours."

She stopped and scanned the area, spotting her pursuer by the window of a coffee shop, enjoying a drink.

_She's toying with me. _The Major's expression darkened. "Batou, double check the scheduled route with HQ."

A minute later, "Damn, how'd she do that?"

"What is it?"

"Looks like Miss Ayanami hacked both Batou and me, Major. You were right, we were supposed to head up north to the market district."

_Well, at least I'm not the one that's slipping. _ She turned and headed up the block.

-

(000)

-

"Dammit! She made us look like fools!" Batou put the car in gear and peeled out of the parking spot.

"Well, at least you were right." Togusa smiled.

"Right about what?"

"She is something special."

While racing through traffic with a grim look on his face, Batou couldn't help but smile to himself.

-

(000)

-

After finishing her last sip, Rei tossed her iced tea in the trashcan while following the Major. _Major Kusanagi is a very composed individual. She must be aware of my presence. Undoubtedly, she will attempt to elude me very soon. _

As if on cue, the Major turned off the street she was walking and down a narrow alleyway that led up through a series of apartments to an open market area. Rei quickened her pace and stepped into the alleyway. There were a number of twists and turns along the way, with multiple opportunities for Motoko to duck out of sight.

The apartments were old and made of brick, and in bad need of grout repair. The windowsills were also brick and uncluttered. Rei sighed, then took her projectile gun out of her jacket pocket and tucked it in the back of her slacks. Taking the jacket off, she looked at it for a second. "It cost me over 60,000 yen." She sighed again. "Oh well." She set it on the ground. Digging in her pockets, she pulled out a pair of gloves and quickly put them on. Taking a deep breath, she flexed her fingers, then took a running start.

Rei jumped five feet up against the side of the building; coiling her leg, tightly, she pushed off and sprang to the windowsill of the apartment across of the alley. She continued this all the way up the four stories of the buildings. Grabbing onto the edge of the building, she pulled herself onto the roof, and without hesitation, she ran along the side and scanned the alley below in search of the Major.

The buildings in this part of town were constructed very close together, so Rei was able to jump from building to building with some effort, but her determination was rewarded when she spotted Motoko emerging from one of the open-air shops below. A modest grin played upon her lips when she saw the Major casually look up and down the street.

_Searching for me, Major Kusanagi? You will have to look harder than that._ A small measure of pride filled the young woman.

-

(000)

-

"Where've you been?" Pazu stepped out from the crowd and leaned against the roof of the car that pulled up to the light.

"How long have you been here?" Batou replied.

"After I searched the train I was on and determined the Major wasn't on it, I got off and took the next train northbound. The Major told me where to get off, but I've been here for almost 20 minutes and can't find either of them. Neither has responded to my hails," the former yakuza assassin explained.

"Well, hop in. Time is up. It's time to call in the players." Batou waited for Pazu to get in the back seat, then sped off before attempting to contact his boss. "Major, time's up. Where are you?"

"I'll tell you in a minute. First, find out where Rei Ayanami is." She sounded none too happy.

"Roger that." Switching to an encoded channel, he hailed the recruit. "Rei, the test is over. Where are you?"

"I am currently tracking Major Kusanagi, westbound on Toshiro near Gonzo." She paused long enough to jump to the next building. "She is in front of a pottery shop and does not appear to be in good spirits."

Batou couldn't help but grin, while Togusa pressed the back of his hand to his mouth to stifle a laugh.

Switching channels, Batou informed the Major, "She's tracking you down Toshiro. See any interesting pottery?"

-

(000)

-

Motoko whipped around, and around again, but saw no hint of the recruit, then on a hunch she looked up and caught the blue-haired woman's reflection off a third floor window. _There you are._

"So, want us to pick the two of you up down Gonzo? We're almost there," Batou asked.

"Head back to headquarters now. We'll meet you there." She started walking quickly down the street.

"But Major--"

"That's an order!"

"Okay, you're the boss."

She broke into a run for almost a block before darting down an alley.

-

(000)

-

Rei started running the moment she saw the Major break into a run, but lost sight of her when she darted down the alley, though only for a brief moment.

"Clever girl. Send Batou on a wild goose chase but not before hacking him to get my route." Motoko stood on an adjoining rooftop with her arms folded across her chest. "But why let me know you were still on my trail? Why make it so obvious?"

Rei just looked at her.

"I see. A tree doesn't fall in a forest unless there's someone around to hear it, is that it?"

Rei tilted her head slightly and considered the analogy.

"All right, technically, the test is over. But in a situation like this, when you're showing your hand to your target, you have to be ready for the consequences." Motoko jumped over onto the same roof and took a defensive stance. "Let's finish it."

Rei's heart rate jumped. _Is she serious? She knows I do not stand a chance against her in hand-to-hand combat. What are my options? I can run, but she could catch me without much effort. I could fight and hope she is simply testing my skill level, but Batou did say she does not hold back, especially on new recruits. Wait… hold back… _She readied herself for battle.

The two women circled each other, drawing ever closer with each step. Motoko was utterly expressionless, methodical and calculated with every step. Rei appeared to be just as emotionless and calculated, but the tiny beads of sweat dotting her forehead would have given her away had her bangs not covered that portion of her face.

Motoko attacked first, leaping forward, landing on her left foot and launching a spin back kick with her right. Rei dropped to the ground, just avoiding the kick, and swept the Major's leg out from under her. In mid-air, Motoko arched her back and landed on her hands, completing a back flip in a fighting position.

The Major waited to give the recruit a chance to initiate an attack, but after a few brief seconds, she maneuvered in close again, this time throwing a series of punches. Rei ducked under the first two and both blocked and faded the third. When the forth came at her, she instantly noticed that Kusanagi left her side wide open. Her first instinct was to attack but instead, she rolled backwards and prepared for another assault.

_Why didn't she attack me? I gave her the perfect opportunity. _Motoko circled her opponent. _Of course, she knows she can't hurt my cybernetic body. She knew I was baiting her. Smart girl. But it's over now._

The Major let out a yell and came at Rei with a series of leaping kicks that backed the recruit up to the edge of the building. Rei's concentration was broken for but a second, when she stole a glance over her shoulder at the street below, but Motoko's attack yell brought her back in time to see the Major coming down upon her. Rei crossed her arms over hear head.

"Rrrrr!" The force of the blow brought Rei down to one knee, and before he knew it she was struck in the side with another kick that sent her tumbling along the side of the building.

Motoko jumped and landed over the fallen recruit. Pinning Rei's shoulder down with one hand, she raised her fist, ready to deliver the knock out blow when, with her free arm, Rei pulled out her gun and pressed it again the Major's temple. "No matter how dense your brain casing may be, a nine millimeter round at this range will do irreparable damage."

Motoko hesitated. "You won't pull the trigger."

"You have read my service record, I'm sure. If so, you are well aware that I am very adept at pulling the trigger, even against my fellow operatives." Rei's expression gave nothing away.

Kusanagi released Rei's shoulder. "Game over. You win." She stood up and offered the smaller woman a hand.

Rei accepted it. "I hardly feel like a winner." She ran her hand along her side. "A draw perhaps, but only barely." She raised her gun to show the Major.

"Wait, that's not a nine millimeter."

"Correct. It is a projectile gun." Rei released the catch and let the anchor slide out. "Even at point blank range, this would have done little more than damage your prosthetic skin and scratched your casing."

"You lied."

"I did not."

"You said it was a nine millimeter."

"Correction. I said a nine millimeter would prove lethal at point blank range. At no time did I identify my weapon as a nine millimeter."

"Nice bluff." Motoko smiled. "Come on, I'll buy you a drink and get you some ice for your side."

Rei put the gun down her back and got in step with the Major. "If you do not mind, I'd like to see if my suit coat is still in the alleyway where I left it. It is my favorite."

"Your favorite, and you wore it to a field test?"

"I was not thinking properly this morning."

"Are you limping, Ayanami?" Motoko observed how the girl was walking.

"I believe I suffered a mild sprain when I jumped from the hotel to the bank."

"Jumped?" The taller woman was more than a little surprised.

"With the aid of my gun." Rei patted the tool in her back.

"I see." The Major smiled again. "You're resourceful, that's for sure."

-

(000)

-

Sitting at an open-air café, Rei sipped on a glass of iced tea while holding a small bag of ice to her side.

"I must say, you have very fast reflexes. There aren't many humans who could avoid my attack for as long as you did." The Major complimented the new recruit.

"Actually, I used your assault to my advantage."

"Oh?"

"I assumed with your focus on a physical attack, I might be able to access your lower cyber functions without detection. I managed to insert small delays in your motor functions." Rei took another sip.

"Is that right?" Motoko did a self-analysis and confirmed Rei's claim. "Ayanami, I see why Batou was so high on you."

"Unfortunately, it was not enough. You're final assault was far too powerful and much too fast for me to avoid, even with the delays."

"So tell me, why do you want to be a part of Section Nine? And you can leave the canned response from the application. I want to know the real reason," Motoko asked after putting her coffee down.

Rei considered the question for a few moments, than answered, "I suppose the primary reason is because I no longer feel challenged at the SIU and feel that of all the agencies, Section Nine possess the greatest test of my potential."

"A test?" Motoko ran her hand across her jaw line. "Is that what public service work is to you, a test?"

"Perhaps I have misrepresented my intentions and desires. I serve in the public sector because I feel my abilities can best be used to aid the public at large. In the process, I continually seek to push myself in order to… to fulfill my potential as a person. Is there anything wrong with that, Major Kusanagi?" Rei looked to dark-haired woman squarely in the eye.

The Major shook her head. "No, not at all."

"Am I to assume I have passed your test?"

"Well, technically I have to go over the results of today with Batou, Togusa, and Pazu. Then we still have to run a complete background check."

"Background check? I assumed such a check would have been performed much earlier," Rei questioned.

"A preliminary check, yes. But, assuming the others share my evaluation of your performance, a more thorough check will need to be performed; Interviews with past associates, supervisors, instructors, that sort of thing." Motoko leaned in. "There isn't anything in your past that will preclude your acceptance into Section Nine, is there?"

Rei paused for just a moment. "None that I am aware of."

"Good. I'd hate to see a spotted past get in the way of adding you to our team." Motoko lifted her cup. "Here's to you, Ayanami. Section Nine's unofficial newest member."

Rei took a moment to respond, but picked up her glass and gave a light tap to the Major's cup. "Thank you, Major Kusanagi. I am confident you will not regret your decision." Rei gave her a hint of a smile, then took a long slow drink.

-

-

(To Be Continued)

-

-

-

AN: I've always been one to try and research details in my stories as much as possible, but this was probably the hardest I've ever had to deal with. Trying to find a detailed map of Tokyo, in English, for free, is next to impossible. I suppose it is sort of overkill since the Tokyo in this story isn't the current day Tokyo, though since people tend to try and stay with what is familiar to them, I assumed that Tokyo 2, or New Tokyo would share many similarities with the original Tokyo. After wasting weeks on trying to properly identify street names, land markers and train routes, I finally gave up and just made things up.

I'd like to take a moment to thank my always amazing beta-reader, Janice, who turned this chapter around for me she a very short period of time. I'd also like to thank Tannim Murphy for offering his insight and opinions into the world of GitS.

I hope this everyone found this chapter even more entertaining than the first.

A. Amishi


	3. Chapter 3: Background Check

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

-

-

-

Ghost in the Shell/Eva: The Recruit

-

-

-

Chapter 3: Background Check

-

-

-

Rei drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. She had been awake for almost an hour, laying on her side, and staring out the window. _Some things never change, do they?_ She heard the person next to her sigh, then stretch. Rolling over, she rested her head upon his bare chest. "Are you awake?"

"Mmm." The young man wrapped his arms around her. "Barely," he whispered.

"Would you like to do it again?" she asked.

"Mmm." He ran his hands over her silky body. "Do you have to ask?"

Rei didn't respond verbally. Instead, she simply slid on top of him, straddled his hips, and kissed him deeply.

"Mmm. Rei…. God, you're amazing," he moaned.

-

-

An hour later Rei lay in the younger man's arms, her hand idling drawing figures upon his chest and belly.

"Hey," he laughed. "That tickles."

"That is why I do it," she replied.

They fell silent.

Feeling the need for conversation, the younger man asked, "So, you're officially a member of Public Security, Section Nine now?"

"Not officially. A thorough background check must be completed, but it should only be a formality."

"To be honest, I was hoping you would fail."

She looked up at him. "Why?"

"I like being able to see you everyday, even if it's only in the office. It gives me the strength to wait for you to feel like coming over." He tightened his hold around her slightly.

"Keniishi, about that." She sat up on the bed. "I believe it is time to end this affair."

The 25-year old SIU operative stared in total shock at the blue-haired woman. "Man, you don't beat around the bush, do you?" He sat up as well. "Why? What did I do? I don't understand, I thought… I thought…"

She gave him a faint smile and gently caressed his cheek. "You are a wonderful lover, Keniishi, however, I am moving on in my professional life and feel it is important that I move on in my personal life as well."

"So-o-o, what? New job, new lover?"

"No, I am not seeking a replacement for you," she explained. "However, you are a tie to my past. I must embrace my future."

"But, I could be part of that future. You and me, together." He hopped off the bed and stumbled over to his dresser. Retrieving a small item from the top drawer, he got back in bed scooted close to Rei. "I was waiting for the right time." He stared down at the small velvet box. Not knowing what else to say, he opened it.

Rei stared at the contents of the box, its significance simply not registering. "It is a ring."

Keniishi looked up at her then down at the ring again. Finally, he removed the ring and grabbed her hand, sliding it onto her finger. "It's an engagement ring. I've been saving up for almost a year." He held her hand in his. "I love you, Rei. I've loved you since the first time… well… you know… since the first time… " His face turned bright red. "I guess what I'm trying to say is… Rei, will you marry me?"

The young woman stared at the one and a half caret diamond ring a moment longer then looked up at the man who had been her lover for the past year. "No, I will not marry you, Keniishi." She carefully slid the ring off and placed it in the young man's hand, then got off the bed and started picking up her clothes from the floor.

The man sat stunned for several minutes, unable to believe what just happened. Eventually, he looked up at the mostly dressed woman. "Don't you love me, Rei? Don't you care for me at all?"

Rei had slipped on her suit jacket and was adjusting the collar of her blouse. She walked up to her lover, who was sitting at the edge of the bed now, and ran her hand through his hair and along his jaw-line to his chin. Tilting his head up so his eyes would meet hers, she answered, "You are a kind and gentle man, Keniishi, as well as a passionate lover. Any woman would consider themselves fortunate to be with you."

"Then why do you want to leave me?" A tear escaped his eye.

Rei gently brushed it away. "This is not about you. It is something I feel I must do in order to move on with my life. I am sorry to cause you pain. It was never my intention to hurt you, however my decision is final." She bend down and kissed him one last time. "Farewell, Keniishi. I know you will find someone worthy of that ring, someday." She turned and walked away.

Keniishi stared after her as she walked out the door and continued to stare at the door in the false hope that she might suddenly change her mind and return. When it became apparent that this was not going to happen, he looked down at the ring in his hand and whispered, "But I did find someone. I found you." He wept uncontrollably for hours.

-

(000)

-

Two days earlier 

"Surveillance skills, hacking skills, covert communication interception and misdirection skills, combat skills." Motoko went down the list. "Am I leaving anything out?"

"Okay, I understand why she sent Batou and Togusa on a wild goose chase but what I don't understand is why she sent me off in the wrong direction if she already knew what train you were on?" Pazu asked.

"Apparently, she didn't appreciate being called, babe." Motoko smirked.

Batou and Togusa stifled a laugh.

"So, it's unanimous then?" the Major asked.

The three men nodded their heads in agreement.

"Okay, Rei Ayanami is the newest member of Section Nine. All that's left is the background check and she'S in." Motoko signed the letter authorizing Rei's transfer to Section 9 and the request for a level-4 background check.

"So how are we going to handle training this time around?" Togusa asked.

"Good question." Motoko set her pen down. "Batou?"

"Well, after the last set of recruits, I said field training was a mistake, but in Rei's case, I'm not so sure. Fieldwork at the SIU can get pretty hairy. It's not all paper pushing and accounting. Still, there's a lot she can learn without putting her in the line of fire."

Pazu jumped in. "Say, why don't we have her train individually with each of us. If she's as quick a study as Batou says, she can pick up skills from each of us and whenever necessary back any of us up."

"That's not a bad idea," Motoko agreed.

"We should probably start her with Ishikawa, since she already has code breaking and hacking skills," Togusa added.

"Agreed." The Major set her elbows on the table and clasped her hands together just in front of her face. "Togusa, you'll be next. She can learn investigative skills from you."

The youngest member of the team nodded.

"Saito would be a good third pick. It's fieldwork but snipers are usually the last ones shot at, and it will get Rei out in the field. She'll probably be going stir crazy by then anyway," Batou threw in. "After that, we can play it by ear."

"Okay, we have a plan, and hopefully we'll be able to keep this one alive," Motoko added grimly.

"Major, how long should we spend training her?" Togusa asked.

"As long as it takes. What's important is that she learns what she needs to do the job, regardless of how long it takes. Pass that along to Ishikawa and Saito." She got up. "I'll get the Chief's signature and turn these in." She held up the paperwork. "And hopefully, we'll have her here within the week." She walked out the door.

"So…"

"So?"

"Lunch?"

"Thai?"

"Nnn, gives me gas."

"Korean barbeque?"

"Sounds good."

"You're buying?"

"Dream on."

The men walked out the of conference room.

-

(000)

-

Present day 

"Excuse me, sir. A Major Kusanagi is here to see you," the secretary to the Special Operative in Charge informed him.

The man in the modest sized office stood up quickly. "Major Kusanagi! Send her in, send her in." He couldn't help but smile as he walked out from behind his desk.

"Mister Ono, thank you for seeing me in such short notice." Motoko shook the man's hand.

"Not at all." He gestured to the chair in front of his desk. "Would you like something to drink, coffee perhaps?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Mana, can you please bring us some coffee?" he asked his secretary.

"Yes sir. How would you like your coffee, ma'am?"

"Black is fine." The Major informed her.

Going back to his seat, the SOC shook his head with a smile. "I must say, I'm not surprised to be having this interview about Rei, but I am surprised that it's you who've come to conduct it."

"Oh?"

"Your reputation precedes you, Major. I hardly expected someone such as yourself to be doing something as mundane as this." He sat down.

"Well, things are a little slow in the terrorism front, and besides, I wanted to know first hand, why anyone would be willing to let someone as gifted as Miss Ayanami go," Motoko answered.

"Here's your coffee, ma'am." The secretary set the cup down at the edge of the desk. "Here you go, sir." She handed her boss his cup.

"Thank you, Mana."

"Will there be anything else, sir?" she asked.

"No, that will be all for now." He smiled and nodded. The young woman bowed and left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Quite efficient. Is she the newest model?" Motoko took a sip of her coffee.

"Yes, yes she is. A vast improvement over the previous version," the SOC replied.

"And you named her? Why?"

"We find it humanizing. It helps us if we relate to her as just another person. Unlike you're unit, all my people are still mostly human. A few prosthetics here and there but no full cyborgs, like yourself." The man took a drink of his coffee. "To answer your question, to be honest, I didn't feel I had much of a choice."

"Much of a choice?"

"The day Rei Ayanami joined this unit was a turning point for all of us. We were wholly under staffed, and under funded, but that didn't stop Rei from making an immediate impact. Until she came along, we were just a bunch of glorified paper pushers and accountants, checking and rechecking the books from the banks across the country. Whenever we did come across a real case, we'd do some investigation work then pass it on to another department. Rei changed all that, and with her help, we re-staffed with people of like skills. Even still, Rei is in a class by herself. That's why when she told me that she felt it was time for her to move on, I couldn't possibly stop her. Trust me, Major, nothing would have made me happier than to keep Rei Ayanami here with SIU, but I owed her too much to stand in her way."

"Sounds like a mutual admiration society. She had nothing but glowing comments and praise for you," Motoko remarked.

"Really?"

"You sound surprised?"

"Well, to be honest, Rei isn't one to reveal her personal sentiments to anyone. In time, you'll learn that she is the consummate professional: always early, always working late, always on top of things, never letting her personal feelings getting in the way of what needs to be done…"

"Speaking of personal feelings." The Major opened the folder she had on her lap. "I was wondering if you could fill me in on what exactly happened in the Kogohiro case. According to the official report, Kogohiro killed three operatives and wounded two others."

"Yes, that's right," the SOC replied with a long look on his face.

"But Ayanami mentioned to me that she once pulled the trigger against her own agents. Operatives, was the word she actually used." Motoko leaned in a bit. "I went over her case files and this was the only one where agents were injured or killed in the line of duty. Care to explain?"

The SOC's expression turned very grim as he considered how to answer her inquiry. "May I ask, how it was that Rei even mentioned this?"

Now it was Motoko's turn to hesitate. "Well… to be honest, it was while she was holding a gun to my head."

"What!"

"During her exam, we engaged in hand-to-hand combat and just as I was about to render her unconscious, she pulled a gun on me," she explained.

"Her projectile gun?" The SOC smiled.

"Yes."

"She bluffed you into backing down." His smile grew.

"Yes. I'm guessing she's done this before."

"If she played poker, she'd be a millionaire." He laughed.

"So, Mister Ono, concerning the Kogohiro case…"

The man got very serious once again. "Do I have your word that what I'm about to tell you will remain strictly confidential? No one else must ever know."

Motoko paused for a moment, then answered, "You have my word."

"Very well." He stood up and turned around, looking out the window of his office. "Kogohiro was a ruthless art dealer and counterfeiter. The Minister of Art and Antiquities came to the Treasury Minister directly and asked for our help in bringing this man to justice. I assigned a team of agents to investigate. They ended up dead in what was called a triple suicide. That's when Rei volunteered to take the case. She was already handling a full third of all of our cases, but she insisted on taking the lead on this one. She dug up the evidence, built a case and went in to make the arrest, along with two other operatives, both of whom she had recruited and trained herself. They really looked up to Rei, both as a leader and a mentor. As it turned out, Kogohiro wasn't just a master counterfeiter, but also a master hacker. Kogohiro took over the other two agents' bodies and tried to take over Rei's too, but she detected him before it was too late, so he turned the other agents on her. She had no choice, she had to stop them, then she took out the target."

"I see."

"Despite the circumstances, you know what the public reaction would have been if anyone ever found out an agent shot another agent. Who cares if her actions saved not only her own life but also the lives of the agents in question? What they would say is, here's an agent that's obviously overworked, and overstressed. She overreacted and shot her own people. That's what they would say. And they would have ended the career of the best operative this unit has ever had."

"So, you covered it up."

"Yes, yes I did. Rei was ready to come clean. That's just her way. But by some miracle, I managed to convince her to alter the memories of the other two operatives and came up with the cover story that Kogohiro was the one who shot them."

"Well, in a sense, I suppose that's true, indirectly anyway. What I don't understand is why Ayanami would let it slip out that she did something like that. Revealing that sort of information to the wrong person could still end her career."

The SOC smiled and sat back down. "That's Rei. Believe me, Major Kusanagi; Rei's decision to join Section Nine was not something she made lightly. I'm sure she took the time to research your group thoroughly, especially you. If she said that to you, it must mean she feels you are someone she believes she can trust, otherwise, she wouldn't have whispered a word of it."

Motoko stood up. "Thank you so much for your time, Mister Ono, you've been most helpful." She bowed politely.

The SOC returned the gesture. "I'm glad I could help."

The Major started for the door, but stopped to ask, "By the way, what ever happened to the two agents she shot?"

"Mister Keniishi Miyaki and Miss Maaya Sakamoto; two of the finest young operatives on my team. Their injuries were serious but not career ending."

"I'm glad to hear it." Motoko gave a faint smile and walked out the office.

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(000)

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The Major walked in on the two androids that were conducting the background check on their newest recruit. "So how's it going ladies," the Major asked.

"From her instructors at the academy to her commanding officer in the airborne unit she was assigned to, they all share the same positive sentiment. Her record is spotless, and her performance, outstanding, every place she's been. Apparently, she was a model cadet and a model officer."

"And you?" The Major turned to the other android.

"I'm seeing the same sort of thing, but…"

"But what?"

"Well, it's a little strange. I was able to track down people who knew her as far back as ninth grade, but before then, the trail turns cold. On top of that, she has no living relatives or guardian. Apparently, she's lived on her own at least since she was fifteen."

"Well, that's not so unusual," the Major replied. "Lots of kids lost their parents during the war.

"Yes, but there's usually some record of that sort of thing. I haven't been able to find anything, nothing at all. It's as if she didn't exist before 2016."

"Hmm." Motoko considered her options. "Why don't you check on the background of some of her old friends and classmates? Maybe some of them share a similar past."

"I will try," the android acknowledged.

"So when do you think you'll be done?" the Major asked.

"I should be done by the end of the day," the first android replied.

"Depending on how quickly I can track down some of her old classmates, it may take me a couple of days still," the second android answered.

"Well, try and wrap it up as soon as you can. I'd like to bring her in before the end of the week." Motoko turned and walked out the room.

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(000)

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Walking into her spacious, two-bedroom apartment, Rei headed straight for the kitchen to deposit the groceries she purchased. She idly tossed the empty plastic bags towards the trashcan but they missed and landed on the floor. Not giving them a second look, the blue-haired woman casually made her way to the bedroom she used as her studio. As she walked, she removed each article of clothing until she stood at the doorway, naked.

Opening the door, Rei flicked on the light and grabbed the well-stained painter's apron that hung behind it. She draped it over her head and tied it around her waist while walking up to the painting that was currently sitting on her easel. After studying it for several minutes, she took it down and placed it with a stack of unfinished paintings, then grabbed a fresh canvas and placed it on the easel.

Grabbing a new palette, Rei took her time selecting the colors she wanted to use. Satisfied with her selection, she grabbed four paintbrushes, placing one behind each ear, and one in her mouth. Sitting on her stool and stared at the blank canvas for almost an hour, twirling the brush in her hand, the former SIU operative, former ASDF captain, former Academy Cadet, former Eva pilot considered what it was she wanted to paint

Finally, she looked down at the palette and mixed some red and blue together, then began applying to the canvas. Two hours later, shades of purple, blue, red, and black covered the canvas, and there were hints of what might have been or rather what might become three faces starting to take shape.

Satisfied with her progress, Rei stood up and tossed the palette and brushes in a large trashcan. She wiped her paint stained hands on her apron at first then on her legs and back to make sure her hands were dry. Walking to the door, she took off the apron and hung it back up, then slipped on a pair of paint-stained slippers and walked out of the room, turning off the light, and making sure the door was securely closed.

Rei went to the bathroom, and checked the thermostat of the Japanese bathtub. She adjusted it up slightly, then took the hand-held showerhead, rinsed herself down, and she washed herself thoroughly, scrubbing her body mercilessly to get all the paint off. After rinsing off, she carefully slipped into the bath, allowing the hot water to chase away all the tension in her body.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling. _Will they find out? If anyone is capable, they surely are. What will Major Kusanagi do with that knowledge?_ She sighed. _I could withdraw my application, but… I do not wish to._ Closing her eyes, Rei let herself sink under the water where she stayed for fifteen minutes. Releasing the air from her lungs, she sat up and took in a deep breath, then rose and stepped out of the bath.

At the entrance room to the bath, the wet female grabbed a towel and padded herself dry then tossed the towel in the laundry hamper. Grabbing a fresh towel and began drying her hair, she stopped long enough to douse herself with body splash. Satisfied that her hair was dry enough, she tossed the fresh towel in the hamper and quickly brushed her hair, then she went to the kitchen to make herself something to eat.

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(000)

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"Thank you for calling Nihon-Yo roppa's, can you hold please?" the female voice on the other end of the call asked.

"Yes, of course," the android replied.

A few seconds later, the voice came over the phone again. "Hello, thank you for waiting. Would you like to make a reservation?"

"No, thank you. May I please speak with Miss Hikari Horaki?"

"Who may I ask is calling?"

"This is Public Security, Section Nine in Tokyo. I'm running a background check and would like to ask Miss Horaki a few questions," she answered.

"One moment please." The woman placed her on hold again.

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The hostess smiled at the couple before her. "Your table should be ready in just a moment." Then she walked to the back of the restaurant and into the kitchen, and waited patiently while the restaurant owner spoke with her sous-chef.

When Hikari was done, she turned to notice her hostess waiting for her. "What is it, Kimiko? I'm kinda busy right now."

"Miss Horaki, you have a call on line three. It's Public Security. They're running a background check and asked to speak with you."

"And of course, they have to call at the busiest time of the day." The owner groaned. "Fine." She wiped her hands on her apron. "Ayato, take over here for me, and remember, golden brown, not burnt." She went to her office and closed the door behind her. Sitting down for the first time all day, she sighed, then looked over at the phone and picked up the receiver, punishing line three. "Hello, this is Hikari Horaki speaking. How may I help you?"

"Hello, Miss Horaki, I'm with Public Security, Section Nine. We have a new recruit whom we are conducting a background check on. Someone you once attended school with. I would just like to ask you a few questions about this person, if it's not too much trouble?"

"Well, yes, actually, it is troublesome. This is the busiest time of the day for me. Can't you call back later, say after eleven?"

"I'm afraid not. I assure you this won't take long, besides, by law you are obligated to cooperate."

"Fine, fine. So who's the idiot looking for a government job?"

"The applicant's name is Rei Ayanami. I believe you attended middle school with her as well as one year of high school, is that correct?"

Hikari went pale and the receiver fell from her hand. She gasped and scrambled to pick it up off the floor.

"Miss Horaki?"

"Ahem, yes… I-I mean, no. I think you have the wrong Hikari Horaki. I don't remember ever going to school with anyone by that name. I'm sorry." Before the android could say anything else, she hung up the phone.

She sat motionless behind her desk, unable to think, filled with a numbness she hadn't felt since… Slowly, she opened the bottom drawer and dug beneath a pile of invoices and letters, and pulled out a photograph. A class picture she hadn't looked at in years. It was a ninth grade photo taken at the junior high school she attended at Kyoto.

"I looked so young. So-o young." She ran her finger over her picture. Then she looked at the four Eva pilots all sitting in a row. "Asuka, Rei, Shinji, and Touji." She ran her fingers over the picture of the boy in the wheelchair. "Touji." She began to cry, for the first time in over twelve years. She cried for her first love.

-

(000)

-

"Major, I'm sorry to interrupt," the android said upon entering the conference room.

"That's all right. What is it?"

"I did as you suggested, and tried to contact some of Miss Ayanami's earliest associates. However, I ran into some difficulty."

"What sort of difficulty?" the Batou asked.

"I was able to identify four persons whom Miss Ayanami appeared to have arrived at Kyoto with in April, 2016. One died on February sixth, 2018, one resides in Hiroshima, another in Vancouver, British Colombia, and the last in Berlin, Germany. I was unable to contact the two persons who live overseas," the android explained.

"That's all right, the one in Hiroshima should do."

"I spoke with her briefly, but when I mentioned Miss Ayanami's name, she seemed to get rather flustered and insisted on not knowing her. I double-checked my records to be sure. I am certain, she is the correct person."

"Here, let me see that." The Major reached out for the file. Looking it over, she informed the android. "I'll look into this myself."

"Very good, ma'am." The android bowed and left the room.

"Problem?" Batou asked.

"I'm sure it's nothing." Motoko flipped through the file. "Hmm, Hikari Horaki."

"Horaki? Say, isn't she the owner of a famous restaurant in Hiroshima?" Batou inquired.

"Have you been reading the travel guides again?" Motoko teased.

"Got to do something when I'm on a stakeout with Boma. He's not much of a conversationalist," the silver-haired cyborg shot back.

"Unlike you?"

"All right already! What is this, pick on Batou week?" He stood up, I'm getting something to drink."

"Big baby."

"Eat me!"

"In your dreams." With Batou gone, Motoko took her time reading through the file. "Hmm, I could use a nice meal." She closed the file. "Chief?"

"What is it Major?"

"Seems there is a small snag with Ayanami's background check."

"Is it serious?"

"No, I don't think so, but I will need to head over to Hiroshima for the day."

"Hiroshima? Very well, if you deem it necessary, just try and wrap this up as soon as possible."

"Of course." Motoko picked up the file and headed out the door. "Hiroshima, here I come."

-

(To Be Continued)

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AN: I know I said I would have this chapter out sooner but unfortunately, my beta-reader hasn't returned it yet, so once again, I'm posting after attempting to edit it myself. Be kind. As soon as she give me her copy, I'll repost with by beta's corrections.

A. Amishi


	4. Chapter 4: Solving the Mystery

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

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Ghost in the Shell/ Evangelion: The Recruit

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Chapter 4: Solving the Mystery

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A stunningly attractive woman with short dark hair and fiery eyes stepped into the ever-busy Euro-Japanese restaurant. She walked up to the hostess' station, past the crowd of people waiting to be seated. Conversations stopped as eyes turned towards the vision in the low cut, long black satin dress with matching shoes and purse.

"Currently, we have a ninety minute wait. Yes sir. … No, unfortunately, we are not taking any more reservations for tonight. … Tomorrow at eight-thirty, table for four, Miyazaki. … Yes sir. See you tomorrow sir. … Goodbye." The hostess hung up the phone and quickly finished her notes, then looked up with a smile. "Good evening, ma'am. Welcome to Nihon-Yo roppa. Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes, under Kusanagi." The Major returned a gentle grin.

The slender young woman in a form fitting mini-dress checked her list. "Table for one," she confirmed. "Yes, this way please." She grabbed a menu and led the way.

Out of habit, Motoko scanned the establishment, which was divided into three very large rooms. A mixture of Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian décor helped to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. _Hmm, it's even busier than I thought it would be. Japanese and Portuguese pottery; that's interesting. _

"Here you are, ma'am." The hostess pulled out the chair.

"Thank you." Motoko sat elegantly and accepted the menu.

"Your waiter will be with you shortly." The amber-haired woman bowed and returned to her station.

From her earlier observations, the Major knew there were at least three men and one woman watching her intently. _It's not often I have an audience like this. Might as well have a little fun. _She opened the leather bound menu and at the same time, seductively crossed her legs, allowing the slit of her dress to fall open, then she permitting her shoe to slip from her heel and dangle alluringly from her toes.

A short instance later, she heard a glass fall over, and a male voice curse under his breath; a female voice speaking harshly to her male companion who responded apologetically; and another female voice calling attention to her waiter, who approached the Major a few moments later with a glass of red wine.

"Ma'am, with the complements of the lady." He gestured to the table in the corner then placed the glass on the table.

"I'm sorry. Please inform _the lady_ that I can't accept." Motoko stole a glance at the equally attractive woman in a provocative night blue dress. _Hmm, nice._

"The Miss instructed me to leave the glass with you regardless, and to inform you that if you _were_ interested, she would be in the bar later this evening." He bowed and walked away.

Motoko lifted the glass and gave it a gentle swirl. _Nice color. _She held it under her nose. _Wonderful bouquet. _Looking over at the woman once again, she offered her a faint toast, then took a sip. _Delicious._

The woman shared the subtle gesture then returned her attention to her dining companions.

The Major smiled to herself. _I suppose it never hurts to mix a little pleasure with business. _It took her only a few moments to establish a connection with headquarters.

"What can I do for you, Major?" the android asked.

"I'm sending you an image. I want you to perform a Level-2 security check on her. Let me know what you find. You have about an hour."

"Very good, Major. I'll contact you as soon as I'm done."

"Make that an hour and a half. I may want dessert." The comlink dropped off before the android could question Motoko's last comment, and she went back to scanning the menu.

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(000)

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"I hope everything met with your satisfaction, ma'am." The waiter placed the check on the table.

"Everything was well beyond my expectations." Motoko deftly slid her credit card into the case that held the bill and at the same time flashed her identification. "If it's not too much trouble, I'd like a word with Miss Horaki about a small matter of public security?"

The waiter took a long look at the ID, then bowed and picked up the case. "I'll be back in one moment."

A few minutes later, the owner and head chef walked into the room to the polite applause of the patrons. The long, uneasy expression she had when she initially walked into the room quickly changed into a modest smile as she gave a small wave about the room and bowed in each direction. Without any further fanfare, she sat across from the Major and said softly, "I already told you people, you've got the wrong Hikari Horaki. Can't you admit when you're wrong?"

"Only when we _are_ actually wrong," Motoko replied. "Miss Horaki, our data is correct. You are the Hikari Horaki who attended ninth and tenth grade with Rei Ayanami. What I find extraordinary is your reluctance to answer a few simple questions. It definitely gives the impression that you have something to hide."

Hikari looked about the room quickly then leaned in close. "Yes, I knew Rei Ayanami. She was a model student, kinda quiet but always well mannered. She never got into any trouble. There, is that what you wanted to know?"

The Major leaned in close as well. "It was… until now. What can you tell me about Miss Ayanami's past?"

"Like I said, there's not much to tell. It's not like we were friends. She kept to herself, she got perfect scores on most of her tests."

"Did you find that frustrating?"

"What, that she seemed to pay no attention and still got the highest grades in the class?" Hikari paused, doing her best to stay calm. "It was a long time ago. I don't think about it anymore. I _haven't_ thought about it in years… until you people called."

"But still. I mean, day after day, week after week, month after month, watching her sit quietly by the window." The image of Rei standing in the coffee shop window, tailing her, flashed in Kusanagi's mind. "It must have gotten on your nerves."

Hikari's eyes glazed over. "She was always staring out the window, never paying attention, never taking any notes. How did she do so well all the time? Even after we all moved to Kyoto, it was still the same."

"Moved from where?"

"From Tokyo Three, of cour-" Hikari looked up, her expression was a mixture of shock and fear. She stared at the Major in disbelief that after all these years, someone was able to make her slip up. She gave a quick look around the room once again, then turned back towards the Major. "Dinner is on the house." The owner stood up and walked next Kusanagi. "This conversation is over."

Before she could take another step, the Major locked onto her wrist. "I may need more questions answered, like, what is Tokyo Th-"

Hikari got right in the Major's face and whispered. "Don't say it." She shifted her gaze left and right, then looked back at Motoko. "If you want to know more, talk to the others. They know more than me."

"The others?"

"Ikari and Souryu. They were… closer to Ayanami than I ever was." She looked down at her wrist.

Motoko released her. "Thank you, Miss Horaki. It was a wonderful meal."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Never come here again." She turned and walked back to the kitchen.

A minute later the waiter returned Motoko's credit card. "Have a pleasant night, ma'am."

The Major placed her card back in her purse, pulled out two ten-thousand yen bills and placed them on the table.

Just then headquarters contacted her. "Major, sorry for the delay. I have completed the security check you requested."

"And?"

"Her name is Atsuko Tanaka, age thirty-five, blood type O, originally from Gunma. She is a vice-president for the second largest advertising firm in Hiroshima. She had a few scraps with the law while in college but nothing serious. Her most serious offence was a misdemeanor possession charge during her junior year. She served thirty hours of community service and paid a sixty thousand yen fine. Since then her record has been clean, not even a parking ticket."

"Hmm, does she belong to any organizations, have any hobbies?"

"Let me see." The android took a moment to scan the personal data. "She is a member of the Hiroshima Chamber of Commerce, the Association of Women in Business, the League of Women Voters, the International Feminists of Japan, and the Institute for Gender and Women's Studies. She belongs to a health club and plays tennis twice a week. In addition, she has had numerous brain enhancements and several cosmetic surgeries. That's about it, Major. Is there anything else you need?"

"Yes, actually, how soon can I get on a flight to Vancouver, British Colombia?" The Major stood up and started towards the exit.

"One moment, I'll check." A few seconds later, the android replied, "There is a military transport leaving for San Francisco in three hours, a connecting flight to Vancouver would be another two hour wait." She paused again. "There is a commercial flight leaving at sixteen-thirty-four, tomorrow afternoon. It is a direct flight."

"Book me a ticket on that flight with an open-ended connection to Berlin, Germany, and inform Chief Aramaki that I'll be gone for a few days." She paused a few steps from the door, taking a glance over her shoulder at the bar entrance.

"Very well, Major. Anything else?"

"No, that's all for tonight." The Major terminated the link, then pivoted on the ball of her foot and headed for the bar.

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(000)

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Shinji Ikari sat with his shoulders slumped and his eyes downcast.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Shinji. When you submit a claim for re-evaluation, you need to notify legal of the possibility of fraud. If it weren't for Shawn, our intern, and his diligence, this would have gone unnoticed," the middle-aged man bellowed from behind his desk.

"Yes sir."

"Yes sir, yes sir. That's all you ever say, but nothing ever changes."

"Yes sir, sorry sir." Shinji hung his head even lower.

The man sighed. "Look Shinji, you've been here now for what, eight years? That's three years longer than any claim adjuster. Maybe it's time for you to started looking at other opportunities."

Shinji's head shot up. "You're firing me."

"No, Shinji. I'm not firing you. I just think that maybe you need to look at other opportunities within the company. Who knows, you might find something you really enjoy doing." The manager tried his best to sound upbeat.

Again, Shinji lowered his head. "But I like being a claims adjuster."

The manager rubbed his temples. _You wouldn't know it by the quality of your work._ Standing up, he walked around to the front of the desk and placed a heavy hand on the smaller man's shoulder. "Just give it some thought, okay?"

"Yes sir." Shinji nodded. The manager rolled his eyes and went back to his chair. Just then his phone rang. "Yes, Dorothy, what is it?" He said over the speaker while gesturing to Shinji, letting him know that their conversation was over.

"There is a Japanese security officer here to see Mister Ikari." The secretary announced.

"Japanese security officer?" The man shot his subordinate a questioning look.

"Yes sir, she says she has a few questions to ask him concerning a former acquaintance."

Shinji looked back at his boss wide-eyed and gave him a nervous shrug.

"Take her to the conference room and tell her he'll be there in a minute."

"Yes sir."

"I hope this isn't going to be a problem."

Shinji shoved his hands deep into his pockets and looked down. "I-I have no idea what it could be about."

"Well, I guess there's only one way to find out." Shinji looked up and gave his boss a questioning stare. "Go see what she wants."

"Oh, right." Shinji walked out of the office and slowly made his way towards the conference room, his pace slowing with every step. _Why would they be here? No, it can't be about that. Not Japanese Security. Unless they're just using that as a cover. But why here at work, why not at home. Not like there's anyone there. _His heart began to race as he drew near. Before he knew it, Shinji was standing just outside the opened conference room. His body trembled and all he wanted to do was run as fast as he could. _I mustn't run away. I have to face my fears. I mustn't run away. _He clenched and unclenched his hands.

"Mister Ikari?" He heard an unfamiliar woman's voice speak from within the room. _How did she know? _He walked around the corner and into the doorway. "Yes? Ahem, sorry to keep you waiting." He closed the door and sat down across from her.

Motoko rose and extended her hand. "I'm Major Kusanagi from Japanese Public Security, Section Nine. I was wondering if I might be able to ask you a few questions concerning a former classmate of yours?"

Shinji shot back up quickly to take the Major's hand then sat back down. "Is something wrong? Is someone in trouble?"

"No, nothing like that. The person in question is a prospective recruit to our unit and we just need to run a routine background check. That's all."

"Oh…" Shinji looked away for a moment, then looked back at the Major. "Is it routine to fly halfway around the world to run a background check?" he asked suspiciously.

"Not normally, but this is a special case. Do you remember a classmate of yours named, Rei Ayanami?"

Shinji instantly went pale.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Ahem…" He looked away. "H-how is she? I-I mean, h-how is Ayanami?"

"She's doing well. She was an operative with the Special Intelligence Unit and recently applied for transfer to Section Nine."

"I'm sorry, I haven't been in Japan in years. Section Nine? Special Intelligence Unit?"

"The SIU is the investigative branch of the Treasury Ministry. They investigate banking fraud and counterfeiting. Section Nine is the anti-terrorism unit of Public Security."

"Anti-terrorism? Sounds dangerous." A look of concern played across Shinji's face.

"It can be."

"Well… what do you need from me?" he asked.

"What can you tell me about Miss Ayanami before ninth grade," she paused for just a moment. "At Tokyo Three."

Shinji went white as a ghost. "How do you know about Tokyo Three? No one is supposed to know anything about it, let alone talk about it."

"You know about it," she replied simply.

"I wish I didn't, I wish I'd never heard or seen the place." He stared down at his hands. "I wish… " He looked up at her. "You're bluffing. You don't know about Tokyo Three. Who told you about it? Was it Ayanami? Did she mention the name?"

Motoko shock her head. "A Miss Horaki let it slip out."

"Hikari?" Shinji's eyes began to water up. "How is she? Is she all right?"

"She's fine. She owns a restaurant in Hiroshima."

"She owns her own restaurant? No kidding?" He smiled weakly. "Well, good for her. I was worried about her after she left Kyoto. She was so heartbroken, after Touji died." He paused for a moment, then buried his face in his hands.

"So, Mister Ikari, what can you tell me about Tokyo Three?"

Slowly, Shinji looked up at her. "You don't understand. Just talking about it can get us both killed. Do yourself a favor and forget you ever heard that name. As far as the world is concerned, it never existed. It's best to keep it that way."

Motoko stood up. "I'm afraid that's not possible. If you won't give me the answers I seek, then I'll have to find them elsewhere."

"Asuka, you're going to see Asuka." The former Eva pilot kept his eyes down.

"Yes, she's my last contact."

"Don't trust what she has to say about Ayanami."

"Why not?"

"Asuka always hated Rei. I'm… I'm not sure why, but she did."

"And you?"

He looked up. "Me? I… I don't know. I liked to think we were friends. There was a time when I thought we might have been more than friends, just maybe." He looked down again. "But things changed."

"I see." The Major looked at the man with a sense of pity. "Well, thank you for your time, Mister Ikari."

"Hmmm, Miss Kusanagi?" Shinji stood up suddenly. "Would you happen to have a picture of Rei, by any chance?"

The Major paused, then turned and placed her briefcase on the conference table. "Yes, I do." She opened it and pulled out Rei's file.

Shinji took the file and stared at the picture. "Oh my God! This isn't a current picture, is it?"

"Yes, it is."

"She's hardly aged at all. How is it possible?" He ran his fingers over her picture. "Rei…" he whispered.

Motoko leaned in close. "Is there anything you can tell me about Rei Ayanami, before Kyoto?"

Shinji continued to stare at the picture a moment longer then handed the file back and turned away. "I'm sorry."

"I see." She placed the file back in her briefcase and headed for the door, but hesitated. "It may not be my place to say, but it seems to me that Rei Ayanami once was an important part of your life. I wonder if she'd be more disappointed or saddened to know the life you've made for yourself, Mister Ikari; alone, in a dead-end job. Well… good day, Mister Ikari."

Hearing the door close, Shinji fell back into the chair, buried his face in his arms on the table and wept. "Rei…. Asuka… Touji… Misato…. Father…"

-

(000)

-

6:45pm Vancouver Time Thrusday evening, 10:45am Tokyo Time Friday morning

Rei lay awake in her bed, staring out the window. She had expected to hear from Section Nine at least a day or two earlier but still nothing. Being unaccustomed to having so much free time on her hands, she had taken to lying in bed till noon. _Why is it taking them so long to complete the background check? SIU took only a day. What reason do they have to dig so far back into my past?_ She sighed.

Suddenly the phone rang.

Rei allowed it to ring six times before reaching for it. "Ayanami," she answered.

She was greeted with silence.

"Is someone there?"

"R-Rei? Is it really you?"

"Who is this?"

"I-It's me, Rei, Shinji Ikari."

"Ikari?" She sat up, allowing the sheet to fall away from her naked body. "It has been a long time."

"Y-yes, yes it has." The man fell silent for a moment. "H-how've you been, Rei?"

"I am well." She shifted the phone to her other ear. "And you, Shinji?"

"I-I'm good, I'm good." He gave a weak laugh.

Again, silence.

"How do you enjoy living in the American Empire?"

"Well, British Columbia is nice. Lots of trees, without the noisy cicadas." He laughed. "The winters can get pretty cold, but it's really pretty with all the snow."

After a few moments of silence, Rei replied, "Perhaps I shall come for a visit. Would you like that, Shinji?"

"No!" Shinji paused. "No, that… I mean, I don't think it's such a good idea."

"Very well." Rei considered what else she could say. "Perhaps you could come here, to Tokyo. It would be… nice… to see you once again."

Shinji remained silent for some time. Finally, in a broken voice, he answered, "I can't go back there, not again. Never again."

"This is not Tokyo Three, Shinji. There is nothing here to remind you-"

"I'll never go back to Japan. It's just too painful, Rei. Just too much pain."

"I see." She waited for him to say something, anything. After a few minutes she asked. "Why did you call me, Ikari?"

"Someone from Public Security came to see me this morning."

"Major Kusanagi?"

"Yeah, that was her name."

"What did you tell her?"

"Nothing! I didn't say anything. But she knows about Tokyo Three, I don't know how but she does. Well, that's not entirely true. She spoke with Hikari. She let it slip."

"Hmm, most likely, she only knows the name and nothing more. Unless…" Rei let it hang in the air.

"I didn't say anything, I swear."

"I believe you, Shinji."

"She said she was going to see Asuka."

Rei thought about this for a moment, then replied, "Souryu will not say anything. She knows better than to jeopardize her future, no matter how bitter she may still be."

"I hope you're right, Rei." Shinji sighed.

Again, nothing but silence.

"Was there anything else you wish to tell me, Shinji?"

"Ahem… well… I-I miss you, Ayanami. I think about you all the time," he whispered.

"You do?"

"Well, you… and Asuka… a-and M-Misato… and T-To-ouji." He drew in a sharp breath.

"Are you crying, Shinji?"

"NO! Oh, sorry, I mean, no. No, I'm not," he lied.

"It is all right to cry. Perhaps, it may help you feel better."

He paused. "Thanks Rei. I'm okay now." He paused once again. "You know, m-maybe I will go to Japan, j-just for a few days."

"I would like that," Rei replied. "You are welcomed to stay at my apartment. It is quite spacious."

"T-thanks."

"When might I expect you?" she asked.

"Oh, well… you know. I'm pretty busy right now. Things are pretty crazy at work, and they rely on me completely. It'd be almost impossible to get away now, but in a few months, maybe. I-I'll call before hand, okay?"

Rei hesitated for just a moment. "As you wish."

"Okay, well. I've got to go now. I-It was really great talking with you again, Rei. You sound great."

"It is good to hear your voice again as well, Shinji." Rei stood up and walked to the window. "I look forward to seeing you again."

"Y-yeah, m-me too. O-okay, well, goodbye, Ayanami." His voice cracked upon saying her name.

"Goodbye, Ikari." Rei waited to hear the line go dead. _He has not hung up._ Finally, she pressed the call button on her cordless phone and tossed it on her bed. _He will not come._ She thought sadly. _Perhaps, it is best this way. _Her train of thought swiftly changed. _So, Major Kusanagi is going to Germany to see Souryu. She may not tell her about Tokyo Three but she may tell her where she should look for answers._

Walking to her closet, she pulled out a day bag and went about filling it with clothes, then quickly got dressed. Afterwards, she walked over to her bed, picked up the phone and dialed. "Maaya? It is good to hear your voice." She smiled faintly. "How have you been?" She listened impatiently. With the niceties aside, she got to the point. "I was wondering if you did not have any plans for this weekend, perhaps you would care to join me on a trip to Hakone?" She listened to her friend's reply.

"Yes, the mountain resort."

"I thought we could leave when you got out of work." She checked her watch. "Yes… That would be nice… Very well, I shall meet you at Akebono at six."

"Till then." She hung up and tossed the phone back on the bed. Picking up her daybag, she went to her bathroom and gathered some toiletries. Walking into the main room, she looked about to see if there was anything she may have forgotten to do. Satisfied there wasn't, she picked up her keys, walked out the door, and locked it.

-

(000)

-

"No! No! I said I wanted the labor strike to be our lead story!" The tall, attractive redhead yelled at her managing editor, pointing at the article in question on the layout table. "Come on, we went over this just this morning!"

"Miss Souryu?" Her secretary interrupted timidly.

"What!" Asuka snapped, then took a calming breath when she saw the young blonde jump back in fright. "What is it Greta?" she forced a soft smile.

"There's a woman here to see you. She says she's from Japanese Public Security," the secretary answered.

"Public Security?" A pensive expression played upon the Editor-in-Chief's face. "Send her to my office." She turned to her managing editor. "And fix this. I don't want to see anything about the terrorist attack before page forty." She turned and walked away. "That's yesterday's news!"

Asuka walked into her spacious office, went straight to the bar, and poured herself a vodka on the rocks. A moment later, her secretary cleared her throat. "Ma'am, this is Major Kusanagi." Then she made a quick retreat, closing the door as she left.

The redhead glanced at the slightly shorter woman, who approached her with her hand extended.

"Miss Souryu, I'm grateful for your time." While her voice was pleasant, the Major's expression was all business.

"Pardon me if my Japanese is a little rusty. It's been a long time since I've had to use it." Asuka ignored the hand and walked behind her large desk. "Major? Public Security?" She sat down like a queen assuming her throne. "Is the uniform supposed to impress or intimidate me?"

The Major lowered her hand and walked to the seat in front of the desk. "Something like that." She gestured to the chair. "May I?"

"Of course." Asuka took a sip of her drink. "I'd offer you one, but I'm assuming you're on duty."

"Cyborgs can't get drunk, but thanks just the same." Motoko sat down.

"Cyborg? Really? I wouldn't have guessed." The redhead lied. Setting her glass down, she sat forward and asked, "So what business does Japanese Public Security have with me? It's been nearly ten years since I left Japan. Don't tell me I owe back taxes or something?"

"No, Miss Souryu. I represent the Anti-Terrorist Division, Section Nine."

"You're not here about that article we publish last month concerning the Deijima Island incident? All of our sources are on the record and their stories all checked out, so we are _not_ printing a retraction." The redhead insisted.

"No, Miss Souryu, I'm not here about any article. I'm here about a former acquaintance of yours, a Miss Rei Ayanami."

Asuka's already stern expression turned dark. "What about that little bitch?"

"Section Nine is in the process of recruiting Miss Ayanami. We simply need to perform a thorough background check on her. Talk to all known acquaintances, and such."

"Well, Wondergirl is going into public service. Can't say I'm surprised. Being a puppet suits her."

"So you don't mind answering a few questions?"

Asuka picked up her glass. "What the hell. Shoot." She went to take a sip.

"What can you tell me about Tokyo Three?" Motoko immediately asked.

Asuka's eyes went wide as she spilled her drink on her tailor-made Italian silk suit. "What!" She slammed her glass down her the desk and brushed the liquid from her lapel. "How the hell do you know about Tokyo Three?"

The Major remained silent.

"Rei? No, she's not that stupid. Shinji, that idiot, he couldn't keep his mouth shut, could he? Dumkoff!"

"So, Miss Souryu, about Tokyo Three?"

Asuka buzzed her secretary. "Greta, get me a change of clothes." She offered no further explanation.

"Yes Ma'am," came a hesitant reply.

"Major Kusanagi, is it? Nothing would make me happier than to be able to tell you all about Tokyo Three and what happened there and how it involves that fucking doll, Ayanami, but I know how the world works. I may be fearless when it comes to publishing my magazine but I'm not stupid." She stood up and headed for the door, stopping next to the Major, she whispered, "Do you scuba dive, Major?"

"Yes."

"Ever dive in the Ashi Lakes, near Hakone?"

"No, can't say I have."

"You may want to try it sometime, the big lake. You may be surprise with what you find at the bottom."

Just then Greta wrapped on the door and cautiously opened it. "Will this do, Ma'am?"

"Pink! Are you insane?" Asuka brushed past the flustered blonde. "If you plan on lasting here longer than my last secretary, you better learn my likes and dislikes, fast!"

_Well, that was interesting._ Motoko made her way out of the office and towards the elevators. While she waited, a commanding voice called out to her.

"Miss Kusanagi!" Dressed in a new suit, Asuka walked up to her with a broad smile on her face. "I'm afraid you didn't catch me at my best. Pressures of the job and all."

"Think nothing of it."

"Well, anyway, I was wondering if you might join me this evening? My fiancé and I have tickets to the ballet. We just happen to have an extra ticket."

"I would love to. It's been forever since I've been to the ballet; unfortunately, I have to return to Japan, immediately." Just then the elevator doors opened. "Thank you for your time once again, and congratulations." The Major backed into the elevator.

"Congratulations?" the redhead gave a confused reply.

"On your approaching nuptials."

"Oh." Asuka laughed mildly. "We've been engaged for over three years. I'm in no rush to change the status quo. Farewell, Major."

"Miss Souryu." Motoko bowed slightly as the elevator doors closed.

"Damn!" The redhead checked her watch and sighed. Walking back to her office, she eyed her secretary and paused a moment. "Greta?"

The easily intimidated girl nearly fell out of her chair. "Yes Ma'am?" She stumbled to her feet.

Asuka shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Never mind." She walked into her office. _Kurz is just going to have to find a date for his old army buddy, himself._

-

(000)

-

"Yes Major?" the android from Section Nine headquarters answered the call.

"Book me on the first flight back to Japan and have Batou ready to take a trip down to Hakone with me. Have him requisition a van and have my diving gear prepped and ready to go."

"Very good Major. Anything else?"

Motoko paused. "Has Rei Ayanami been in touch at all?"

"Yes, Ma'am. In fact, she called just this morning asking about you."

"She did? What did you tell her?"

"That you were currently indisposed and would get back in touch with her in a day or two," the android replied.

"I see." Motoko thought for a minute then asked, "Connect me to Ayanami's home number."

"Very well Major." The android forwarded the call and proceeded to book the flight.

After eight rings, the call went to voice mail. "You have reached the Ayanami residence. I am either unable or unwilling to take your call at this time. Please leave a message and I may get back to you, eventually."

Motoko dropped the call and got in the car that was waiting for her in front of the large office building. "Rei Ayanami… this is turning into quite the mystery… and you seem to be at the heart of it."

"Did you say something, ma'am?" the driver asked as he pulled away from the curb.

"No, nothing. It was nothing at all."

-

-

(To be Continued)

-

-

AN: Well, I hope this chapter was worth the wait. I did my best to create a believable Asuka and Shinji in the future. For those of you who hold Shinji in higher esteem than I do, I'm sure you were not happy with the Shinji I portrayed in this chapter if I were to be honest with my view of Evangelion. By the way, there are three names used in this chapter that have ties to anime. Do you know what they are?

The next chapter will be the end of this story, but I'd like to know if you'd like to see this storyline continue. Would you like to see a sequel dealing with Rei's training days? Let me know.

A. Amishi


	5. Chapter 5: Can She Handle the Truth

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

-

-

Ghost in the Shell/Evangelion: The Recruit

-

-

Chapter 5: Can She Handle the Truth?

-

-

-

Motoko checked her air mixture one more time.

"I still don't see why you don't want me to go down there with you," Batou grumbled, picking up his air tank and securing it to the side of the boat.

"Basically, its because I don't know what's down there, and if I do get into any trouble, I'd rather have you up here ready to come down and rescue me instead of us both needing to be saved and no one around to do the honors." The Major hoisted the tank to her back and secured it on.

"Well, since you put it that way." The gruff sounding cyborg grinned. "Just be sure to stay in constant contact or I'll be down there so fast it'll make your head spin." After a few moments of silence, Batou asked, "So what do you expect to find down there? Do you really think it has anything to do with Ayanami?"

Motoko looked down into the deep, dark waters. "Well, to answer your second question first, based on what everyone close to Ayanami before she went to Kyoto had to say, I'm certain it's directly related to her. As for what's actually down there, your guess is as good as mine; maybe the lost city of Atlantis."

"Well, be careful down there." He walked over to the sonar device. "According to sonar, this lake is over a hundred and forty meters deep. That's a long ways down."

"And, I'm not getting any closer to the bottom by standing here talking." The Major turned and sat at the side of the boat, then rolled backwards into the water. Bobbing to the surface, she adjusted her diving mask. "Go to a secured, encrypted channel."

"Done."

Motoko gave her subordinate a nod then dove down into the murky water.

"Turn on your headlamp." Batou reminded her.

She reached up and flicked on the light, which only gave her about five meters of visibility.

"I can't believe how murky it is down here. It's a good thing there aren't large predators in this lake. I'd never see them coming." She continued to make her way down.

"You're passing thirty meters. How do you feel?"

"Fine. I hardly notice the pressure." She continued down.

Batou checked the sonar settings and ran a quick self-test to make sure it was working properly, then checked the Major's position again.

"Still murky down here and there seems to be an awful lot of movement. There must be an underwater river or something," she reported.

"Maybe that's why it's so murky," Batou grinned.

"Very astute."

"You've just passed seventy meters. How do you feel?" He glanced over at his tank.

"I can definitely feel the pressure now, but I'm still all right."

"Okay, but keep talking; your brain case might be spec'ed for two hundred meters, but that doesn't mean the rest of you is," Batou warned.

"Yes… daddy."

"Wiseass," he mumbled.

"The current I mentioned before is getting stronger but it feels like it's coming up from beneath me."

"That's weird, according to the sonar you're practically in the middle of the lake. Maybe it's an underground hot spring?"

"I suppose that's a possibility, except for one thing."

"What's that?"

"It's ice cold down here." She altered her direction slightly. "I'm swimming towards the source of the current. Let me know if I stray to far off center."

"Will do."

-

(000)

-

"You've passed a hundred meters." Batou's concern was clearly etched on his face.

"The pressure is considerable, but still manageable. What's really odd is that visibility is improving while the current are getting stronger. It's getting harder to swim towards the source." The Major struggled on.

"You're probably using too much energy. You'll exhaust your oxygen supply too quickly," Batou warned.

"Good point. I'm altering my course. I'll try swimming next to the current." She continued on.

A few minutes later, Batou received the most disturbing transmission from the past half hour.

"What the fuck!"

-

(000)

-

Motoko ignored the calls from her subordinate as she drew closer to the giant vents that forced a steady stream of water out into the lake. _It's the churn that's causing all the sediment in the lake. But why? _Swimming over the angled vents she could clearly make out all her surroundings for the first time. _Good lord!_

She swam towards the ruined remains of what was once the headquarters of the most well kept secret in the world. Parts of what looked like fallen buildings lying on top of other building structures, and while a thin layer of alga covered most everything it was still clear enough to make out the form of the ruins. _My God! What is this place? Is this Tokyo Three?_ She swam past the vents and towards the ruined remains. _But what sort of explosion could have done this? Not even a fifty-megaton nuke would leave a crater this big. _

After swimming over the ruins for about ten minutes, Motoko's attention was seized by a flashing yellow light. _What could that be?_ She swam towards it. _An entrance of some kind. _She drew closer. _It's big. Probably a loading dock. _She ran her hand over the heavy metal doors. _They probably haven't been opened in years._

Suddenly, the doors began to slide open. Air rushed out and bubbled towards the surface while Motoko was drawn in along with the rushing water. Her journey was short as the water filled a seven by thirteen meter compartment behind the doors, and as soon as the space was filled, the doors begin to close.

The Major struggled to gain her bearings and swim out but the doors closed too quickly. _This is bad. _She turned round and around, looking for a way out without success. She checked the gauge on her wrist. _Just a little over thirty minutes of air left. _"Batou! Batou! Do you read me? Batou! Damn it! Answer!" Her mind began evaluating all possibilities, most were not good. All of a sudden, the water in the compartment began to drain out. "Now what?" Within minutes it was completely dry with the exception of a few puddles on the floor.

"You may remove your mask now, Major." A monotone voice echoed.

Not entirely sure she could trust what she was told; Motoko nonetheless took off her diving mask. She hesitated a moment but eventually inhaled. "Breathable air… but how?"

Suddenly the interior doors began to slide open slowly and emerging from the shadows was a familiar young face with azure hair and crimson eyes wearing a skin tight mostly white jumpsuit.

"Welcome to NERV Headquarters Major… or at least what is left of it."

"Rei Ayanami… why am I not surprised?" The Major removed her tank and flippers. "So now what?"

"First, inform Mister Batou that you are safe and that he may return to shore." Rei handed Motoko a communicator.

The Major took the communicator and started at Rei a moment longer before pressing the transmit button. "Batou?"

-

-

The burly cyborg lowered his air tank which he was holding over his shoulder. "Major! Where the hell are you!"

-

-

Motoko sighed, "Relax Batou, I'm alright."

-

-

"Relax?!" He shouted. "Like hell I'll relax! You said you'd stay in constant contact, then nothing for nearly fifteen minutes. I was about to go diving in after you when I heard from Rei." The silver-haired cyborg regained some measure of calm. "But I was still going nuts not hearing from you."

-

-

"Sorry to worry you," Motoko gave Rei a suspicious glance. "But I'm alright now. Go on to shore and wait for me there."

"May I?" Rei extended her hand.

The Major pause for a moment then handed to communicator to the shorter woman. "Batou, yes, the Major and I will return later. If you will, I have a friend at the Kurata Inn. Her name is Maaya Sakamoto. Please keep her company until we return. Most likely you will find her enjoying the hot springs at the inn." She listened to his reply. "Yes," she looked over at the Major. "Be assured, I will guarantee her safety. We shall see you in a few hours. Good-bye."

"You came here in hopes of finding answers, did you not?" Rei turned her attention to the Major after terminating the connection, and then gestured for her to follow. "Come with me and I shall provide you with what you seek."

Picking up her flippers Motoko followed the recruit through a maze of corridors, patiently waiting for blue-hair woman to provide the answers she promised.

Stopping suddenly, Rei gestured towards an open door. "You can change out of your wetsuit in there. You should be able to find an outfit that will fit in one of the lockers." Taking a step back, the former Eva pilot leaned up against the wall, crossed her arms under her breasts, and staredngd up against the wall andk which he was in the process of putting on. sing the transmit button. off at the opposite wall.

Motoko raised a questioning eyebrow but only hesitated a moment before entering the room. _Hmm, a locker room._ She opened the closest locker and saw kaki colored uniform hanging with a set of boots on the floor. "Well, I guess anything's better than standing around soaking wet." She set her tank on the side along with her flippers. Then she took off the wetsuit.

A quick look around rewarded the Major with a small stack of towels. Picking up the top one, she gave it a whiff. "Musty." She tossed it aside and reached down into the pile to pull another one out. Taking another whiff she decided, "Little better at least." And proceeded to dry herself off. Returning from the shower area back to the lockers, she started searching for a uniform that would fit, finally giving up and settling on a long white lab coat and a pair of pumps.

-

-

Rei gasped slightly when she saw the Major step out of the locker room.

"Something wrong?"

"No." The petite woman turned and started down the hall. "This way."

After walking down a long corridor, they started down an even longer escalator. The silence was killing Motoko, who had more questions then she could count for the prospective recruit. Having enough of silence, she asked, "So this is Tokyo Three?"

"No, this is NERV Headquarters. A top secret base funded by what was then the United Nations." Rei answered without turning. "Tokyo Three was the fortress city that concealed NERV from the surface."

"So this place was built under water and the city sat on top of the lake?"

"No. NERV sat at the bottom of a massive geo-front. The city acted as a cover over it."

"What happened to the city?"

"It was destroyed when the then JSDF dropped an N-Two mine on the city."

"An N-Two mine?"

"At the time, it was the strongest non-nuclear weapon available. It has since been outlawed and its very existence has been concealed, along with the existence of Tokyo Three and NERV."

The Major looked all around for a moment. "How is it that there is still power down here? Is this place still a functioning base?"

"NERV was abandoned over sixteen years ago. But its reserve generators are still functional. I powered them up in anticipation of your arrival."

Suddenly, the escalator stalled then stopped entirely.

"Of course, without regular maintenance, it can be assumed that things would break down eventually." Rei started walking down the escalator and Motoko followed.

-

-

"This was the command center of NERV." Rei walked in a semi-circle. "The operations director would stand here and direct the battle. The technicians would sit there and there. They monitored the battle and made adjustments as needed." She turned around. "The commander would sit up there and oversaw each operation with his sub-commander by his side."

"Battles? What battles? Ayanami, what are you talking about? There were never any battles fought on Japanese soil. Were these long distance ops?"

"No. They were close, very close. Often right here in the streets of Tokyo Three." She walked up to one of the councils. "It will be easier simply to show you rather than attempting to explain it in words." Her fingers flew over the keyboard. "Amazing. The Magi are still operational. I was certain they would have taken them off-line." She continued to search. "Watch the monitor."

Motoko turned and waited.

Suddenly, the giant screen came to life.

A moment later the Major's jaw dropped. "What the hell is that?"

"That is an angel."

"Angel?"

The third angel, Sachiel, to be precise."

"Wait, wasn't Sachiel supposed to be an archangel of God?"

"A Cherub actually. Whether these creatures had any relation to Judaeo-Christian mythology, I do not know, but that is how they were designated, as angels."

"And what is that thing fighting the angel?"

"That is an Evangelion, Eva Unit One to be precise."

"And let me guess, you're the one inside piloting that giant robot."

"Technically speaking, the Eva was not a robot and no, I was not in Unit One. My Eva was Unit Zero. Hence the designation on my plug suit." Rei pointed at the number on her suit. "No, the person piloting Unit One was Shinji Ikari. I believe you met him the other day."

"That shell of a man is the pilot of that thing?" Motoko shook her head in disbelief.

A subtle hint of sadness crossed Ayanami's face but it was quickly replaced with her normally stoic expression. "There were a total of five of us. I was the first child. The first identified as a pilot candidate. I was the designated pilot of Eva Unit Zero. Ikari was the third child and designated pilot of Eva Unit One. I believe you also met Asuka Langley Soryu?"

Motoko nodded without taking her eyes of the monitor.

"She was the second child and the designated pilot of Eva Unit Two." Rei turned and watched the monitor along with the Major for a moment.

"And what about the other two pilots?"

"Toji Suzahara was the fourth child and the designated pilot of Eva Unit Four. Unfortunately, Unit Four was assimilated by an Angel during its activation test and Ikari was forced to destroy it, resulting in permanent injury to Suzahara. He died from complications do to his injuries two years later."

"Let me guess, Hikari Horaki was the fifth child." Motoko replied, unable to take her eyes of the carnage that was being shown on the screen.

"No, Horaki was Suzahara's girlfriend. She blamed Ikari and the rest of us for what happened to Suzahara. The fifth child was Kaworu Nagisa; though as it turned out, he was actually the Seventeenth Angel, Tabris."

"How could this all have happened without the world knowing about it? It's almost too much to believe."

"NERV was under the control of another secret organization; the true power behind the United Nations, Seele."

"Seele?"

Rei nodded. "In order to conceal what took place here, Seele needed an equally grand event to draw people's attention away from Japan."

Kusanagi nodded in understanding then went wide-eyed in disbelief. "You mean they started World War Three just so they could hide their dirty little secret?"

Rei gave a subtle nod. "Come, there is much more to see." The petite woman headed for the exit.

Motoko took a moment to stare up at the monitor one last time before she turned and followed. Leaving when she did, she missed seeing Eva Unit Zero destroyed in a devastating explosion.

-

-

Standing in the middle of a catwalk, the two women looked out over the long rows of partially constructed Units.

"Are these Evas?"

"These were failed attempts to create Eva."

"So they were machines."

"Partially… but mostly organic. The mechanical portion served both as the armor needed to battle the angels as well as the means to control the Eva."

"So what exactly is the Eva?"

"The Evas were generated from angel DNA, caged in heavy plating to force it to our will."

"Become a devil in order to defeat the devil, is that it?" Motoko squeezed the guardrail so tightly it began to bend.

"There is more you must know." Rei turned and continued along the catwalk.

The Major continued staring at the remains of the failed experiments. "Monsters." Gradually, she released her grip on the guardrail and made her way towards her guide.

-

-

The door slid open to reveal a dimly lit room. The two women walked in slowly. Ayanami walked over to the steel surgical table.

"An operating room?" Motoko scanned the entire room before continuing. "What is this place?"

"This is where I spent the first year of my existence." Rei ran her hand over the cold table.

"Of your existence?"

"Come." Rei walked to the door at the opposite end of the room.

-

-

The room was dark save for the dull orange hue that emanated from the large glass containment. Rei gradually made her way over to the glass and placed her hand on it while gently leaning in and allowing her forehead to touch it as well.

"Where are we?" The Major looked about the room as was her custom but when Ayanami did not answer, she looked over at the girl and saw her staring intently into the bottom of the large tank. Motoko walked up to the tank and stared down into it. "My God!" She took a step back.

Rei's expression did not change. She simply continued to stare.

"Who were they?" The Major walked up to the glass again and studied the remains more carefully.

"They were my sisters."

"Your sisters?" The Major continued to study the remains. While the orange hue of the liquid in the tank made it impossible to tell what color the eyes and the hair of the bodies were, the Major managed to find a mostly intact head and she studied its features carefully. "What the…" The Major shot a look over at the new recruit then back into the tank from one mutilated face to another. "They're all you." She looked over at Rei again. "They're… they're clones."

"As am I," Rei replied.

"Who did this?" Motoko asked.

"The woman who once wore that lab coat."

Motoko looked down at the name embroidered on the breast pocket. "Doctor Ritsuko Akagi."

They stood in silence for several minutes as the Major tried to make sense out of all she was shown and told.

Turning and leaning up against the tank, the Major shook her head. "It doesn't make sense. Why did these creatures suddenly appear, sixteen years ago? Why did they target this place? What was their purpose for coming here? How did the people running this place know to build the Evas? And why did they stop coming?"

Rei continued to stare into the tank a moment longer before turning to face the Major. "In actuality, the first angel arrived over thirty years ago. Do you recall the incident called, the Second Impact?"

"The meteor that hit Antarctica? What about it?"

"It was not a meteor that struck and melted the polar icecap. It was the First Angel, Adam. His remains were discovered deep in the ice. Scientists attempted to recover him. Not only did they manage to recover Adam, they also revived him. However, being a creature of light, he emitted his energy against his captives and destroyed the Antarctic Continent, causing the dramatic rise in ocean levels that wiped out so many coastal cities and resulted in the global climate change. It was Adam's DNA that was used to create the Evas… and me."

"You?"

"I am a hybrid; created from both angel and human DNA. I was created for the express purpose of fighting and defeating the Angels as well as to bring about the fulfillment of the Human Instrumentality Project."

"Human Instrumentality?"

"More commonly referred to as Third Impact, it was my primary purpose, after the last angel was defeated; to combine with Lilith, the Second Angel and Unit One in order to bring about the Third Impact; the unification of all souls into one being."

"So how did you stop it?"

"I did not."

"What?"

"I carried out my function, though not for the commander, not as it was originally intended. I offered Human Instrumentality to Shinji Ikari, for him to do with it as he wished. I thought he would embrace the opportunity to end his loneliness forever, to end his separation. He did not." A hint of disappointment flashed across Ayanami's face for only a moment.

"So what exactly is this Human Instrumentality? You said it was the unification of all souls. Can you elaborate?"

"Human Instrumentality, the joining together of all human souls into one, an existence where all physical barriers are removed and thought can flow freely in a sea of consciousness. Not entirely different from the NET; the free flow of thought without barriers or limiters. Of course the analogy is not quite accurate since what is on the NET is purely data. Human emotion and self-awareness would still exist."

"But at the price of our individuality."

"Yes."

_Hard to believe humanity owes its existance to that… that… man. _Motoko suddenly turned her attention back to the Eva pilot. "And why all the secrecy?"

"Those in the positions of power, those who have the most to lose have gone to great lengths to see that these events and this place are never made known to the world. It is a fair assumption that if it were ever made known that we were here, our lives would not be worth the air we are currently breathing."

"Is that a warning?"

"No, simply a statement of fact, all of those who managed to survive the attack by the JSDF were given a sizable endowment along with the assurance that if we ever spoke of this place to anyone, even amongst ourselves, we would surely die a swift and painful death, along with those we shared it with."

"So you just sealed our fate?"

"I would have preferred not revealing this to you, but you were most persistent. The GSDF and the SIU merely looked as far back as my high school days in Kyoto. You insisted on digging even further." Rei walked up to the Major. "So what will you do with this knowledge, now that you have it?"

"It's not like I really have much of a choice, do I? I mean, not if I want to go on living."

"And what about me, and Section Nine?"

Motoko took a step back and turned away. "I don't know. The fact that you're a clone doesn't bother me." She lied. "Cloning is common place these days, but you're not even human and the fact that you were willing to bring about the end of mankind as we know it. It's kind of hard to ignore those facts."

"This life. This existence I was once part of," Rei gestured to the tank and round the room. "Is merely a part of my past. I was but one of many, created to fulfill a destiny. If I did not do as I was ordered, I would have been replaced, easily. The fact is I am the third Rei Ayanami."

"The third?"

"The first was murdered while still a small child. The second died in battle against the angels. Now, with the end of NERV and the angels, my life has become my own. I have done with it as I saw fit. I chose to attend the academy, to serve with the Airborne, to join the SIU, and it was my own decision to seek a position with Section Nine. I was not coerced, ordered or in any other way motivated other then by my own desire to test my own abilities; to push myself to my physical and intellectual limits and beyond. I am not normally one to speak of myself or to offer self-assessments, but if you chose not to enlist my services in your division, you will be making a grave miscalculation."

"Section Nine has survived this long without Rei Ayanami. I'm sure we'll be able to continue just fine without you, if we must." The Major stared sternly down at the new recruit.

Rei continued staring up at the Major several moments longer before turning towards the door. "We should leave now. I am sure Batou and Maaya must be quite concerned by now."

The Major took one last look inside the tank then made her way out of the room.

-

(000)

-

Motoko secured her air tank and lowered her face mask, making sure it was water tight. Looking over at the recruit she asked, "Don't you need a tank?"

Rei shock her head. "My cybernetic lungs are as efficient as a porpoise's." She pressed a button on the wrist of her plugsuit and the inner safety doors slid open slowly. They walked passed the doors and they began to close. Once the doors were closed the chamber began to fill with water. "When the outer doors open, follow me to the surface. I know a secure route that will lead us from the lake undetected."

Motoko nodded and flicked on her head lamp.

Once the chamber was full the outer doors opened and the two women made their way to the surface.

-

(000)

-

Batou filled Maaya's champagne flute, spilling some in the hot water and over the top of the woman's exposed portion of her breasts. The young woman laughed as her already red cheeks turned a brighter red.

"Oops," Batou laughed. "Let me get that." The burly cyborg set the bottle down and started reaching for the woman's chest.

"Batou, you pervert," she laughed, slipping just beyond his reach and dipping down into the water up to her neck then she settled back next to him.

"I see you're enjoying yourself Batou."

He looked up. "MAJOR! Rei! You're back. Come on in. The water's great." He scooped up a handful. "I never knew a hot spring could feel so good."

"You don't know what you've been missing Batou," Maaya replied. "The springs around here are great but the best hot springs are up north. Mountain springs are to die for."

"Well, you'll have to take me on a hot spring tour sometime soon." He leaned in and gave a leery grin to the young woman.

Maaya giggled and pressed her forehead against his while running her free hand over his cheek and along his jaw. "I'd like that."

"Maaya, may I introduce you to Major Kusanagi of Public Security, Section Nine." Rei gestured to the taller woman next to her. "Major, this is Maaya Sakamoto, an operative with the SIU and my friend."

The Major gave a nod. "It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Sakamoto."

The woman in the hot spring set her flute down, grabbed the towel next to her and held it to her chest as she stood up and bowed. "It is a great honor to meet you Ma'am, an honor and a privilege."

"Don't say that," Batou chimed in. "It'll go to her head."

"It looks like something's already gone to your head Batou," the Major replied.

"You think so?" He grabbed his flute and took a long drink. "Maybe you're right." He grabbed the bottle and filled his glass. "Come on ladies. Join us."

"Thanks but no thanks. I've had enough of water for one day. Did you check us in already?"

"Yup, just ask for your keycard at the front desk." Batou took another drink.

"Well, then I guess this is goodnight. It was nice meeting you, Miss Sakamoto." Motoko bowed.

"Goodnight Major Kusanagi. I hope we get to meet again sometime." Maaya returned the gesture, then sat down.

"Perhaps we will." The Major offered the young woman a faint smile then turned towards Rei and whispered. "One way or the other, I'll contact you when we get back to Tokyo." Then she turned and walked away.

Everyone watched as the Major left the private hot spring enclosure.

"Will you join us?" Maaya asked Rei.

"Yes, of course. Give me a moment." Rei walked into the changing room to get undress and shower.

-

(000)

-

"Batou sure is a cutie." Maaya giggled while pouring a drink for her and Rei in their hotel room.

Rei stepped out of the bathroom in a white terrycloth robe brushing her mildly damp hair. "I do not think, cute would be word I would use to describe Batou, but you have always preferred men of rugged appearance."

"Yeah…" Maaya smiled then turned and handed Rei a glass. "And you've always liked the younger, pretty boy types."

"Guilty as charged." Rei lowered her brush and took the drink her friend offered. "But you do know Batou is a full cyborg."

"Yeah…" Maaya held her glass to her mouth. "But he's also fully functional," she giggled.

Rei's eyes widened slightly. "You did not…"

Maaya laughed. "No, but I was tempted."

"Than how do you know?"

"I saw when he was getting in the hot spring and I saw his reaction when he got a good look at me." The dark-haired woman swirled her drink around in her glass. "So what do you want to do tonight? Watch a movie, talk, play cards? Oh, we can get dressed and go do some late night karaoke."

"I believe I will simply go to sleep. It has been a long day for me." Rei looked between the glass and the brush in her hands. Glancing up she saw Maaya had yet to sample her drink either. Raising the glass to her lips, the azure-haired woman took a long slow drink then headed to the bathroom and deposited her brush in her toiletry bag. Returning to the room, she looked over at her friend momentarily and observed her glass sitting on the dresser still full.

"Well, I'm not tired yet so I think I'm going to prowl around the hotel a bit. Maybe I can find Batou's room and convince him to go karaoke with me, if he's not too drunk that is." Maaya quickly got dressed.

"You are aware that cyborgs such as Batou are incapable of getting drunk?" Ayanami informed her friend.

"Really?" Sakamoto slipped on her heels. "Well then I guess karaoke it is."

"Very well. Do not forget you key." Rei took her robe off and got into bed.

"Do you always sleep in the nude, Rei?"

"Does it disturb you?"

"No, just curious."

"I see." Rei rolled away from her friend. "Yes," she whispered.

A few minutes later, she heard Maaya say, "Goodnight," and the door open then close.

-

(000)

-

The clock in the hotel room showed a time of 1:03 a.m.. Maaya softly whispered, "Rei… are you awake?" Receiving no response, she gently sat on the edge of her friend's bed and pulled out a comm cable from the back of her neck. Brushing Rei's hair aside she readied to plug the connector into Rei's comm port.

"What are you doing?" she heard her petite friend whisper.

Maaya gasped in shock and jumped off the bed, letting go of the cable which retracted automatically.

Rei rolled over to face the startled woman.

"H-how are you still awake. I saw you take a drink."

"You saw me pour the contents of the drink into my mouth, then go directly to the bathroom." Rei corrected.

"How did you know?"

"You have never been one to procrastinate once you have poured yourself a drink Maaya. Yet procrastinate is exactly what you did, as if you were waiting for me to drink first." Rei looked over at the desk where Maaya's still full glass sat.

"That's my Rei for you. Always on the ball." Maaya grinned.

"You have yet to answer my question. What were your intensions?"

Maaya sat down on her bed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Isn't it obvious?"

"You work for Seele." It wasn't a question. "For how long?"

"Since before I joined the SIU." Maaya answered truthfully.

"To keep an eye on me?"

"You're one of only twelve people who survived the attack on NERV. It's not like it takes that much to keep tabs on that many people. Besides only nine of you remain." The younger woman unfolded her arms, leaned back and placed her hands on the bed to support herself.

"Did Seele kill the other three?" Rei asked. "No, Suzahara was one of the twelve. He died of complications due to his injuries… did he not?" Now Rei wasn't so sure.

"That was before my time, but from what I was told, only one person had to be eliminated. That was Miss Maya Ibiki, three years ago when her conscience got the better of her and she decided to go to the press with her story. Unfortunately, for her the reporter she went to was a Seele agent as well."

Rei sat up. "So, now what?"

"That depends on you and what you told Major Kusanagi." Maaya replied.

"Everything, I told her everything. I also told her if she ever revealed any of what I told her to anyone, we would both most definitely be killed. Was I incorrect in my assessment?"

"Hardly."

"So, is it your intention to kill me now?"

Maaya smiled. "First of all, you're my friend Rei, and my mentor. That was always true. It's simply my job to report to Seele, that's all. They must decide what to do. But to be honest, Seele really isn't in the killing business. If they were, they would have simply eliminated all twelve of you years ago instead of continuing to provide an endowment. The real decision won't be made until they can determine what the Major will do with the information you gave her. If she tries to go public with it then both of you are as good as dead. If she's able to keep it a secret… well, I can't say for sure, but the most likely scenario will be, life goes on."

"I see."

"So, tell me something Rei, how long have you known?" Maaya leaned forward out of genuine curiosity.

"I suspected the day I interviewed you."

"Seriously?"

"You're qualifications were exactly what we were looking for. It was as if you had been tailor-made for the job. The same could not be said for any of the other positions we filled. There were always some areas of weakness that the other agents needed to work on in order to perform their duties. That was not the case with you. It made me suspicious, but I did not know for certain until tonight."

Maaya sighed

"Goodnight Maaya." Rei got back in bed and rolled over.

"So Rei… are we still friends?"

"I do not know. Were we ever friends?" the naked woman whispered.

"I always thought of you as a friend, my best friend. I know it probably doesn't seem like it to you now, since I was spying on you but to be honest I never had any doubts that you'd keep the truth a secret. And working under you, I've learned so much. I've become a better agent because of it, not just an SIU operative either. I owe you so much, even my life."

"So will you report what I did today?" Rei kept her back to her friend.

Maaya hung her head. "I have no choice. I have to. It's part of what I do." She looked up with tears in her eyes. "You have to understand, if I don't tell them and they find out later that I lied than I'll be as good as dead too."

"So you will forfeit my life to save yours. I suppose I am saving your life once again."

"Don't say it like that Rei." The dark-haired woman hung her head. "Don't say it like that. I love you. You're the closest thing I've ever had to a sister."

"Save your theatrics for your superiors at Seele."

"I'm not acting. It's true. I do love you." Maaya sobbed. "Anyway, it's your own fault. You could have taken out Kusanagi dozens of times but you let her get closer and closer to the truth. You knew the consequences but still you did nothing, then you go and tell her everything. You've got no qualms with taking their money each month but now you're going to blame me for doing my job. Well you might think I'm a hypocrite for doing my job and still calling myself your friend but who's the real hypocrite Rei?" She buried her face in her hands and cried.

Ayanami remained deathly still, listening to her friend's weak, sad sobs. Slowly, she rolled over and eased herself out of bed. Walking up to Maaya, he gently wrapped her arms around the girl and held her close. The dark-haired woman clung desperately to her friend and cried.

Placing her hands on either side of Maaya's head, Rei tilted the girl's face up and softly wiped away her tears.

Maaya gave a weak chuckle and smiled but her cautious relief turned to shock when Rei leaned down and kissed her on the lips. Sakamoto tried to push Rei away but ended up falling back onto the bed. "Rei, what are you doing?"

Rei grabbed the younger woman's wrists and pinned them over her head while lying on top of her. "You said you loved me." She kissed the taller but weaker woman again.

Maaya struggled to break free but to no avail. Eventually, Rei released her lips and made her way down the girl's neck. "Rei, stop! Please, stop! Rei!"

-

-

(000)

-

-

"So, she's a clone." Chief Aramaki leaned back on his chair as he finished reading the Major's report on the new recruit. "It seems everything else checks out… but Major, will you be able to work with her… considering you prejudice against clones."

Kusanagi stared off into space.

"Major!"

"Sorry Chief, what was that?" She got up from the sofa and walked over to her boss's desk.

"I asked if the fact that Miss Ayanami is a clone is going to pose a problem considering your prejudice against clones." He repeated himself.

"Well, the fact that her original is dead and any copies there might have been were destroyed a long time ago, along with the people who cloned her, sort of makes her an original, doesn't it?"

"Are you asking me or telling me?" Aramaki stood up, walked around to the front of his desk, and handed the file back to the Major.

"I guess I'm just looking for affirmation." She gave a sideways grin.

"Well, her qualifications are unquestionable and she easily passed your test. Unless there is something else in her past, something you're not telling me?" The old man cocked an eyebrow.

Motoko stared at him for a moment then shook her head. "No, nothing else."

"Well, it's your call Major. But I can honestly say, it would certainly brighten things up around here to have another attractive and capable woman on the team." He winked.

"Chief, you old wolf you." The Major tucked the file under her arm. "I'll bring her in and introduce her to you tomorrow."

"Make it Wednesday. I have a meeting with the Foreign Affairs Minister all day tomorrow." He looked at his watch. "And a meeting with the Prime Minister's Foreign Policy Advisor in forty minutes." They both turned and headed for the door. "But I'm looking forward to meeting Miss Ayanami. I'm sure she'll prove to be a valuable asset to the team. Batou, don't you have anything better to do then to be standing around snooping outside my office?"

The cyborg straightened up and ran his hand through his hair. "Aah, no, not really."

Motoko sighed and shook her head.

"Till Wednesday Major." The Chief continued down the wall to the elevator."

Motoko made her way down an adjacent hallway with Batou close behind.

"So, is she on the team?"

Motoko pulled the file out from under her arm and looked at it long and hard before answering. "Yes, she's on the team."

Batou smiled. "Great! I mean… that's good. I'm sure she'll go just fine."

"Yes, I'm sure."

They continued in silence for some time before Batou finally spoke. "So, are you finally going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"What you found down at the bottom of the lake?" Batou clarified.

"I told you. All that was down there was the lab where Rei had been cloned."

"You're still sticking with that lame ass story?"

"Look, that's all that was down there. If you don't believe me, then go back there and dive down to the bottom of the lake yourself." Motoko snapped back.

Batou did a slow burn, letting his anger and frustrations gradually dissipate. After he calmed down some he added. "So, are you sure you're going to be able to work with her, even though she's a clone?"

"My personal prejudices are my problem. I won't let my feelings interfere with the team. Rei Ayanami is a topnotch recruit. It would be foolish of me to turn her down just because she's a clone." She stopped at the analysis lab. "I need to talk to Ishikawa. I'll catch up with you later Batou."

"Okay." He turned and started back down the wall, but paused just before the Major opened the door. "Major."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks. Really, I'm sure Rei will do great on the team."

Motoko nodded. "I'm sure she will." She walked into the room, and closed the door behind her.

"Ishikawa."

"Morning Major. What can I do you for?" He turned from his station.

"Here's the file on our newest recruit. You'll be her first instructor. Teach her everything you know, even the illegal stuff."

The senior member of the team took the file and started flipping through it. "When do I turn her over to Togusa?" He asked.

"Not until you're satisfied she knows everything you know."

"That could take years." He grinned.

"Take as long at it takes. I want her to know it all and then some."

"Roger that Major." He nodded then turned back to his work.

-

(000)

-

Aramaki ended the brain hack he did on Batou, then made a security level seven call. "Yes, it's me… No, she didn't say anything other than that Ayanami is a clone. No… no… no... I'm sure she'll take it with her to her grave." He paused again and listened. "That's not funny. She's a great asset to me and I don't intend to lose her… Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on both of them from now on. If anything happens, I know what to do… I may not like it but I know what must be done if it comes to that… Yes, I'm sure… Very well… good day." He ended the call and sighed.

"Anything wrong Chief?" He driver asked.

"No Togusa, just feeling my age is all." He sighed again and whispered to himself. "Just feeling very, very old all of a sudden."

-

-

-

(The End)

-

-

-

AN: I'm so very sorry it took me so long to get his last chapter out. I hope it was everything you had hoped it would be and more. While I'm sure it feels incomplete, it does finish the story of, The Recruit. The next story to follow will be, Training Days. I have quite a bit I'd like to incorporate in this new story but I haven't laid out the whole thing yet so it will probably be a while before the first chapter is posted, so please be patient.

A. Amishi

aaayad leave now. Batou and whould ued starting up at the Major several moments longer before releasing a subtle sigh and turning towards the door. "


End file.
